ALBANY, Calif. - Mellow Fellow, who won all four of his starts at Golden Gate Fields including the Montclair and Danville Handicaps, made a clean sweep of the awards for the 2001-2002 Golden Gate Fields meeting.
The 7-year-old gelding was voted the Horse of the Meeting, top older horse and top sprinter. Mellow Fellow, co-owned by Ronelle Heller and his trainer William J. Morey Jr., has won 10 of 23 career starts and $307,283.
ARCADIA, Calif.-Already accomplished on turf, Alexine won her first stakes on the main track in Sunday's restricted $82,725 Santa Lucia Handicap at Santa Anita.
"It's nice to be versatile," trainer Richard Mandella said.
Ridden by Gary Stevens, Alexine ($4.80) needed a half-mile rally to wear down Cashmina, a determined pacesetter.
ALBANY, Calif. - Halo Tyra won the first stakes race of her career, capturing Sunday's closing day stakes at Golden Gate Fields, the $55,700 Emeryville Stakes.
Halo Tyra ($12.60) won the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies by four lengths over Respectful in 1:09.48. She rated early, made a three-wide move on the turn to take the lead and widened her advantage down the stretch.
"She just hung out there three wide, and that was fine with me because she was really running. I really had a perfect trip," winning jockey Russell Baze said.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Tim Ritvo's decision to duck the 1-5 favorite Orchard Park here Friday in the Gravelines Stakes proved the right choice after he sent out Lord Juban to a one and one quarter length victory over Mystic Salse in Sunday's $75,000 Caltch Handicap.
ALBANY, Calif. - Irisheyesareflying, a $50,000 claim who won $500,000 last year, scored his first victory of 2002, winning the Berkeley Handicap (G3) at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
Owner-trainer John K. Dolan took his time deciding whether to run the 6-year-old horse in the race after a tough trip in Santa Anita Handicap on March 2 and a faster-than-expected 58.80 five-furlong work on Monday.
But he was happy with his decision after the race as Irisheyesareflying ($3.80) held off Boss Ego by one-half length to win the one-mile race in 1:35.41.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The year of milestones continues for Kalookan Queen.
In January, she won her first Grade 1 in the Santa Monica Handicap. On Saturday, she beat males for the first time in the $197,700 at Santa Anita. She became the first filly or mare to win the Grade 2 Potrero Grande in the 20-year history of the race.
"We expected her to win today," said trainer Bruce Headley. "It feels great because she's a great filly."
Ridden by Alex Solis, Kalookan Queen was part of a favored entry with Rapidough and was forwardly placed throughout.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Stirring up the echoes of his memorable victory in the 2000 Florida Derby, Hal's Hope became a Grade 1 winner for the second time in his career when he outgamed Mongoose to post a half-length victory in Saturday's $300,000 . Red Bullet, the 1-2 favorite, finished last in a field of five older horses.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Suffolk Downs has named many of its stakes for local legends, past regional champions, and prominent figures in the track's history. Rudy Baez is all of those things, and he is still leaving his mark on the local sport despite being confined to a wheelchair for the past 2 1/2 years.
OLDSMAR Fla. - It's usually not cause for great celebration when a rider wins twice in a week. But when Mike Davila Jr. captured a race Tuesday at Tampa Bay Downs, then came back Friday with another tally, he might just as well have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Perfect Fantasy found another gear when challenged briefly in the stretch by Snowball King to win the $61,000 Rainbow Stakes by five lengths over a sloppy main track at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. It was another length back in third to My Good Trick.
