JAMAICA, N.Y - Bella Bellucci confirmed her status as a major player for the May 3 Kentucky Oaks with an easy-as-expected, seven-length victory in Sunday's $108,200, Grade 3 at Aqueduct.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Tracemark ($6.20) made a strong move to split horses at the quarter pole and wore down Cappuchino in the final strides to win the $150,000 California Derby at Bay Meadows on Saturday.
Final time for the 1 1/8-mile race was 1:47.93, the fastest of the day in the final preps for the Kentucky Derby.
Tracemark was sixth early in the field of eight, prompting winning jockey Jason Lumpkins to say, "I may have had him a little too far back early. It seemed like everybody went. I had too much cover in front, but I didn't want to make an early move."
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Harlan's Holiday raced right into the Kentucky Derby favorite's role Saturday by posting an emphatic 4 1/2-length victory in the $750,000 at Keeneland.
Ridden by Edgar Prado, the Ohio-bred Harlan's Holiday went up to challenge his longtime rival Booklet entering the stretch of the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass, then ran off to finish in 1:51.51, the slowest Blue Grass in 14 years. Booklet finished second, a neck before Ocean Sound, who was followed by Straight Gin, Bob's Image, and Azillion.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - As he watched his big, gray colt Buddha charge down the inside of Aqueduct's stretch in Saturday's $750,000 , trainer James Bond had great confidence that his jockey, Pat Day, would have something left for the last 100 yards.
But the horse he was battling with, Medaglia d'Oro was ridden by Laffit Pincay Jr. and trained by Bobby Frankel, who seems to win every major race.
Almost every major race.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Private Emblem overcame the widest post and a six-week layoff to post an authoritative, 4 1/2-length win over Wild Horses in the Grade 2, $500,000 before a crowd of 52,122 at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.
It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Windward Passage and Bay Monster, who dead-heated for third place.
The Arkansas Derby was the third leg of the Big 3 Pick 3 that also included the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, and the national bet returned $128 for a $2 ticket. The pool for the wager was $991,679.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Affirmed Success, an 8-year-old gelding, continued his renaissance Saturday afternoon, charging through an opening at the top of the stretch and drawing off to a one-length victory in the Grade 1, $350,000 at Aqueduct.
Voodoo, a 41-1 longshot, rallied for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Burning Roma. Snow Ridge, the 5-2 favorite, finished ninth in the field of 10.
A tote board malfunction cut short Saturday's opening day program at Finger Lakes.
After the first race was run without incident, the tote system failed, preventing the track from calculating and making any payoffs involving the second race.
The third and fourth races were conducted - and patrons were able to collect on all win, place, show, exacta, and trifecta bets - but when the tote system could not be restored, the remainder of the card was canceled.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Texas Glitter outgamed Joe's Son Joey and set a course record in the process, posting a hard-fought head victory in Saturday's $75,000 Yankee Affair Stakes at Gulfstream Park. But the performance was tempered by the fatal injury suffered by 3-5 favorite Kipperscope, who broke down on the far turn and was euthanized after the race.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Mysterious Affair captured the $147,355 Whimsical Stakes for the second year in a row Saturday at Woodbine.
Mysterious Affair led most of the way in the six-furlong dash for fillies and mares, setting fractions of 22.07 and 45 seconds while being pressed by Dreams Go Bye. She opened up a clear lead at the quarter pole, and coasted home by three lengths over favored El Prado Essence. Devastating was third in the eight-horse field.
The final time, over a sloppy track, was 1:10.54.