NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Waist Gunner John won the Quick Step Handicap by 2 1/2 lengths over 1-2 favorite Down Thepike Mike.
He paid $39.80 for the victory in the Quick Step, for Ohio-bred 3-year-olds and up.
Down Thepike Mike finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of Count On My Word, who was third.
ALTOONA, Iowa - That an Iowa-bred won Saturday night's Prairie Rose Stakes wasn't a big suprise; that it was Trisha Runs instead of 9-5 co-favorite Sumthintotalkabout was.
Trisha Runs ($25.80), under Perry Compton, took command early and was never headed enroute to a 3 1/2-length victory in the Prairie Rose. Trisha Runs covered the six furlongs in 1:09.54 over sloppy going.
Princess Jen rallied to gain the place over co-favorite Soul Onarazoredge.
The win was Trisha Runs's sixth in 11 career starts and her first since May 28.
Sunday Break, the third-place finisher in the Wood Memorial, will not run in the Preakness Stakes, trainer Neil Drysdale confirmed Sunday night.
"We're going in the Peter Pan and Belmont," Drysdale said after conferring with owner Koji Maeda.
The Peter Pan, a $200,000 Grade 2 race at nine furlongs, is run on May 25 at Belmont Park. The Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, will be run on June 8. In 1992, Drysdale sent out A. P. Indy to win both the Peter Pan and Belmont after he was scratched the morning of the Kentucky Derby with a foot injury.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Sky Jack overwhelmed five opponents in Sunday's $150,000 at Hollywood Park, drawing off in the final furlong to win by 5 1-2 lengths.
Sent off as the favorite, Sky Jack led throughout the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy. Ridden by Laffit Pincay, Jr., Sky Jack broke from the rail and set fractions of 23.75 and 46.78 seconds. Bosque Redondo got within a half-length midway down the backstretch, but Sky Jack, racing along the rail, slowly extended his lead. He put away Bosque Redondo on the second turn and quickly pulled clear, finishing 1 1-16 miles in 1:41.36.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Van Rouge ($6.80), who had just broken his maiden, went wire-to-wire to win the $100,000 Ascot Handicap (G3) at Bay Meadows on Sunday.
The Mr. and Mrs. Jerome S. Moss homebred was never challenged in the 1 1/16-mile turf race that was shown nationally on ESPN2. He defeated Doc Holiday by 4.5 lengths in 1:41.78.
"We were going a good tack on the front end, but I had a ton of horse," winning rider Jason Lumpkins said. "We hit the quarter pole, and I felt good because they'd been running to him all the way."
ELMONT, N.Y. - Allen Jerkens doesn't impress easily. But after watching Xtra Heat hold off his Shine Again to win Sunday's $150,000, at Belmont Park, the Hall of Fame trainer had to pay homage to the champion filly and her trainer, John Salzman.
"She's got to be one of the best in a long time," Jerkens said. "She's so used to shipping; it doesn't even bother her. She was so cool and calm in the paddock walking around like another day in the office. Just remarkable, and he's done a remarkable job with her. Got to give him all the credit in the world."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - El Prado Essence closed from off sizzling fractions over a sloppy track to capture Sunday's Grade 3 George C. Hendrie Handicap, a 6 1/2-furlong dash at Woodbine.
As expected, favored Madame Roar led through splits of :21.74 and :44.59 while being tracked by Mysterious Affair and Dreams Go Bye. El Prado Essence commenced her rally at the quarter pole under Todd Kabel, and overhauled Madame Roar at the eighth pole en route to a four-length score in a time of 1:16.86.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Mellow Fellow ($7.20) unleashed a powerful stretch drive to win the Grade 3, $198,750 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Sprint on Saturday.
"They were cheering him like Barry Bonds when we got to the winner's circle," winning trainer William J. Morey Jr. said.
Although a final decision was not expected until Sunday morning, it appeared less likely on Saturday that Sunday Break would run in next Saturday's 127th Preakness Stakes, and more likely he would run in the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park on May 25.
STICKNEY, Ill. - As easy as Victor Espinoza made winning last week's Kentucky Derby look, Saturday's Hawthorne Derby was even easier. As with War Emblem a week ago, Espinoza simply sat aboard Flying Dash for most of the Hawthorne Derby. He guided the colt to the inside turning for home and hardly moved as Flying Dash drew off convincingly to win by three lengths.
