INGLEWOOD, Calif. - In the midst of one of his stable's best years, trainer Ian Jory gave himself Sunday afternoon off take his daughter Chloe sightseeing in New York City.
The day out helped explain the poor reception on his mobile phone.
"Sorry about that," he said. "I'm just stepping off the boat at the Statue of Liberty," he said.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Two spills in nine days.
To say that Eibar Coa is fortunate to come out of the two accidents relatively unscathed would be an understatement. Coa has been involved in two scary falls - at Monmouth on May 30 and at Belmont last Saturday. In both spills, the other rider involved was injured.
So how does Coa, or any jockey for that matter, get back on a horse right after coming within inches of seriously injuring himself?
"It's part of your job," Coa said Sunday. "If you're fine, you have to get up and try again."
ELMONT, N.Y. - Carrying 127 pounds - and the hopes and dreams of pick six players nationwide - Xtra Heat prevailed Sunday, holding off a game Gold Mover by a neck to win the $150,000, Grade 2 Vagrancy Handicap before 8,517 at Belmont Park on Sunday.
It was the 21st victory from 27 career starts for Xtra Heat, last year's 3-year-old filly champion. A $5,000 2-year-old-in-training purchase, Xtra Heat pushed her career earnings to $1,823,305.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Ragin T Rex, the ex-claimer, pulled an upset in her stakes debut, Sunday's $77,250 Manhattan Beach Stakes at Hollywood Park.
Sent off at 17-1, the second-longest shot in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies, Ragin T Rex led throughout the 5 1-2 furlongs on turf under jockey Matt Garcia.
Ragin T Rex set fractions of 22.10 and 44.54 seconds and led by 2 1-2 lengths at the eighth pole. She held off a late rally from Carinae to win by three-quarters of a length. Trained by Warren Stute, Ragin T Rex ($36) was timed in 1:02.99.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Multiple stakes winner Cappuchino ($5.20) won his turf debut, going wire to wire to win the $56,988 Round Table Handicap at a mile Sunday at Bay Meadows.
Cappuchino was pressed early by the maiden Crown The King, put him away and then hold off the late charge of Mananan McLir to win by a head in a final time of 1:35.24. Blue Slew's Shoes rallied late for third, six lengths farther back.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Caught Out, trained by Michael Dickinson, came from last to first and wore down pacesetter Sluice in deep stretch to capture the $50,000 Politely Stakes for fillies and mares by one-half length at Monmouth Sunday.
Caught Out, a 4-year-old, recorded her second win in five starts on the turf. With Eddie King aboard, Caught Out ($9.80) covered a mile on the turf in 1:37.11 before a crowd of 12,332. Sluice was 1 1/2 lengths clear of Clearly a Queen. Wittenberg, the 2-1 lukewarm favorite, was hung four-wide around the final turn and finished fourth.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Extend wore down a stubborn Devastating in the final strides to take the $179,874 Ontario Matron Handicap for fillies and mares Sunday at Woodbine.
Catch the Ring, the 3-5 favorite in the six-horse field, rallied from 10 lengths back to finish a belated third in the 1 1/16-mile event.
"(Devastating) figured to go," said David Clark, who rode Extend. "We just tracked her all the way. The pace was honest, and when I asked her, she punched home hard."
ELMONT, N.Y. - Sarava and War Emblem, the colts whose fortunes swung wildly in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, left Belmont Park by van at 8:30 on Sunday morning for a plane ride that would return them to Churchill Downs, where they will be based until making their next starts.
Sarava, who at 70-1 became the longest-priced winner in Belmont history, "came out of the race great," according to his trainer, Ken McPeek, who said he felt "numb" a day after scoring the biggest victory of his career.
"It's unbelievable. Great," McPeek said. "You work hard for a day like yesterday."
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Leo's Last Hurrahy remained perfect in three career starts when he rallied through the stretch to win the $150,580 colts and geldings division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity by 1.25 lengths over Action Tonight at Lone Star Park on Saturday.
Earlier on the card, 28-1 longshot Jazz Lady exploded to the lead into the stretch and went on to an authoritative six length win in the $142,040 filly division of the race.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Palmeiro ($7.40) survived a pace duel with Prodigious and held off late-closing Moonlight Meeting to win the $150,000 All American Handicap (G3) at Bay Meadows on Saturday.
The 4-year-old gelding went head-and-head with Prodigious through the first six furlongs of the race and opened a 2.5-length lead in the stretch. Moonlight Meeting cut into the lead, but Palmeiro held him off by three-quarters of a length to win the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:42.31.
