ELMONT, N.Y. - He smiled. Yes, he did. A big, bright smile. Bobby Frankel smiled on Saturday morning at Belmont Park, right after Richard Migliore worked Medaglia d'Oro, then told Frankel, "He's right on. He's going to be tough."
"I like hearing that from you," Frankel replied.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Tweedside prefers being the hunter, not the hunted, and though she found herself in both roles during the course of Saturday's $150,000 at Belmont Park, she was able to save just enough to capture the Grade 2 race from late-running Sweetest Thing.
Tweedside sat in a perfect spot, third on the rail, for the first nine furlongs of the 1 3/8-mile grass race. She took command with a strong turn of foot at the top of the stretch, then was all out to prevail under jockey John Velazquez. She beat Sweetest Thing by a nose, with Golden Corona another nose back in third.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The disqualification of 67-1 shot Two Point Two Mill in the $115,500 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs on Saturday resulted in a dead-heat victory for Pisces and Classic Par.
Two Point Two Mill, ridden by Charlie Woods Jr., was disqualified from what had been an apparent half-length win. Following an inquiry, the stewards ruled that Two Point Two Mill, trained by Bob DeSensi, drifted in slightly on Rochester in midstretch, causing that rival, who was ridden by Pat Day, to clip heels and nearly fall.
MIAMI - If Monday's $35,000 Cool Air Handicap at Calder was carded at six furlongs, or even 5 1/2 furlongs, there might be reason to believe the speedy Flying Birdie was vulnerable. But with the Cool Air scheduled to go five furlongs on the turf, even a late change in venue due to rain shouldn't keep Flying Birdie from defending her title in a race she won by 4 1/2 lengths over the main track last summer.
STICKNEY, Ill. - Few if any 3-year-old fillies have made a stronger impression in Chicago this year than Cades Cove and Pass the Pepper. Which one is the better sprinter? Monday's first race at Hawthorne will furnish an answer.
Pass the Pepper, Cades Cove, and four other horses were entered in the second-level allowance race, which will be run at six furlongs. Combine the first race with several other allowance and maiden races, and you'll find one of the best top-to-bottom programs offered during this brief meet.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Shaws Creek closed four wide on the far turn en route to a three-quarters of a length score in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial Stakes, a prep for the June 23 Queen's Plate at Woodbine.
Shaws Creek ($10.10) raced in a stalking position under Jake Barton, as outsider Aspen Ridge led through moderate fractions. Anglian Prince raced prominently along the inside, and made the lead at the top of the stretch, before Shaws Creek overtook him at the sixteenth pole.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Jockey Jose Velez Jr. kept Rideouts Patton right behind a hot pace, and then guided the 4-year-old gelding three wide in the stretch to wear down Rudirudy for a length-win in the $50,000 Wolf Hill Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Rideouts Patton ($9.80) covered the five furlongs on firm turf in 56.04 seconds before a crowd of 11,935. Rudirudy was part of the early pace and held on gamely for second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of the late-running Red Weasel. Manofglory, the 8-5 favorite, tired from the quick pace and finished fourth.
STICKNEY, Ill. - Off form in his last several starts, Distinctive Mr. B perked up at an opportune moment and scored a front-running win in the $75,000 Glassy Dip Stakes at Hawthorne.
Most accomplished as a turf sprinter, Distinctive Mr. B ($38) made amends for a second-place finish in last fall's edition of the Glassy Dip, a five-furlong race that was upgraded from an overnight stakes to a listed $75,000 race this spring.
In a field reduced to just four horses by two late scratches, Mystic Lady ran last as the 1-5 favorite in the $100,000 Nastique Stakes at Delaware Park, destroying some heavy bets in the place pool in the process.
Of the $100,127 in the place pool, $96,168 was bet on Mystic Lady.
As a result of her finishing fourth and the two longest shots in the race finishing one-two, there were some strange payoffs. Lily's Affair, a five-length winner for jockey Mike McCarthy and trainer Michael Gorham, paid $18.40 to win and $81.20 to place. Runner-up Border Fire returned $90.60.