ELMONT, N.Y. - A Triple Crown season that began on a sour note for jockey Edgar Prado ended ever so sweetly Saturday when he guided longshot Sarava to the biggest upset in Belmont Stakes history.
It was the first classic victory for the Peruvian-born Prado, who had dominated the Maryland circuit in the 1990's and was this country's leading rider from 1997-99.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - B. Wayne Hughes returned to the Kentucky Derby this year hoping to win the race before the Derby - just like he did in 1998, when his Joyeux Danseur romped to victory in the Early Times Turf Classic.
But although Climate, competing in Hughes's orange-and-purple silks, beat a steady fade as Beat Hollow captured the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (formerly the Early Times), the afternoon wasn't a total loss for Hughes: He watched happily as Tricky Indy won the last race of the Derby Day card, crushing entry-level allowance rivals under Pat Day.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A bad start provides a perfect alibi for a 3-year-old front-runner.
Royal Moro stumbled badly at the start of a Grade 2 sprint last out, and finished a disappointing fourth. On Thursday, Royal Moro races seven furlongs in a one-other-than allowance at Hollywood Park, and if his stumble was nothing more than bad luck, he will make an impact in race 6.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Volga, a Group 3 winner in France, tops a compact field of filly and mare grass runners in Thursday's $50,000 allowance feature at Belmont Park.
Five entered the third-level allowance, which will be run at 1 1/8 miles over Belmont's inner turf course and is the fifth race on the card.
Volga obviously will be pointed to bigger and better races down the road, but trainer Christophe Clement selected this spot as a starting point for his filly, who hasn't raced since finishing fifth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in October.
AUBURN, Wash. - Three-year-olds are usually at a severe disadvantage when they face their elders early in the year, but at some point they catch up. Has that point arrived?
That's the question in Thursday's feature at Emerald Downs, which matches four 3-year-old fillies against five 4-year-old fillies under $12,500 nonwinners-of-two lifetime conditions at 6 1/2 furlongs.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Most of the names near the top of the Monmouth Park trainers' standings are familiar - Eddie Broome, Kevin Sleeter, Alan Seewald, and Tim Hills. One trainer who is new to the top, and enjoying every minute of it, is Mary Hartmann.
Hartmann had seven wins at the meet last year and has nearly matched that already with six wins this meet through last weekend. She is tied for the lead with Broome and Sleeter. Hartmann said this has been her best start to a Monmouth meeting. So what has been the difference this year?
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - He is the only Grade 1 winner in the field, and training superbly for his first start in three months. Milwaukee Brew, however, is no cinch to win the Grade 2, $500,000 Californian on Saturday at Hollywood Park.
"He's dead fit, I know that," said his trainer, Bobby Frankel.
But Milwaukee Brew's closing style places him at a theoretical disadvantage at 1 1/8 miles, and Frankel recognizes the dilemma. "I don't know if there's enough pace, and the way this track is playing, it's if the race sets up for him."
After wondering for months how Equality would handle turf, trainer H. Graham Motion got his answer Tuesday.
Equality, coming off a last-place finish in the Preakness Stakes, made the transition to grass by scoring a one-length victory in the $59,300 Gleaming Stakes at Delaware Park.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Congaree is in, but Hail the Chief is out of the $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap.
Trainer Bob Baffert said Tuesday that, despite his objections to Congaree carrying high weight of 121 pounds, he has decided to forgo a trip back to California by running the colt in the Foster Handicap. The Grade 1 Foster will be run Saturday at Churchill Downs.
CHICAGO - You pretty much knew that Wayne Catalano, the private trainer for Frank Calabrese, was going to come out with guns blazing at Arlington. The leading trainer here two years ago before falling two wins short of Jerry Hollendorfer last year, Catalano points for Arlington, and in the last couple seasons, what Catalano points at, Catalano hits.