ARCADIA, Calif. - You did not have the easiest journey in Sunday's $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes* at Santa Anita, but her wide trip was enough to put her on top of California's 3-year-old filly division.
You ($4.40) won by a length over Habibti, a reverse of the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes on Dec. 16 when the two finished a head apart.
ALBANY, Calif. - Cappuchino continued trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's hot streak with 3-year-olds as he and entrymate Yougottawanna ran one-two in the $59,100 Golden State Mile at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.
Cappuchino ($3) stalked pacesetter Lethal Grande and took the lead at the quarter pole. He opened a 2 1/2 length lead over his entrymate into the lane and maintained that advantage to the wire. He won the one-mile race in 1:35.57. Late-closing Arsen was third 1 1/2 lengths behind Yougottawanna.
NEW ORLEANS - If Sunday's Whirlaway Handicap* was any measure, it's going to take some kind of horse to beat Valhol three weeks from now in the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap. Running his best race in years, Valhol decisively beat nine rivals in the $125,000 Whirlaway and established clear supremacy in the local handicap division.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The beneficial scratch of expected favorite Hook And Ladder, coupled with a scalding pace that fried the front-runners, combined to propel late-running Fappie's Notebook to a narrow victory in Sunday's $100,000 Deputy Minister Handicap* at Gulfstream Park.
NEW ORLEANS - With the city of New Orleans heating to a fever pitch on Mardi Gras Day, one of the best stakes races of the season heats up Fair Grounds' special Tuesday card. Local turf stars Northcote Road and Where's Taylor face off in the $75,000 Mardi Gras Handicap, a race that also marks the turf debut of the talented colt Griffinite.
ALBANY, Calif. - Odds-on favorite Decarchy continued trainer Bobby Frankel's hot streak in stakes races with a two-length victory over Ninebanks in the $100,000 Tanforan Handicap (G3) at Golden Gate Fields.
Decarchy ($3.40) took back early off the uncontested pace of I'madrifter as jockey Russell Baze was content to stay in sixth while saving ground. When the field began to bunch up heading into the stretch, Baze shot Decarchy through a hole between entrymates Ninebanks and Sirpa, then quickly passed I'madrifter to assume the lead.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bettors on Saturday failed to conquer the Santa Anita pick six for the second consecutive day, resulting in a carryover of $505,816 for .
Only one favorite won during Saturday's pick six - Lord Sweeney in the ninth race. The winners of the other pick six races were Avenue of Royalty ($8), Seven Jillion ($13.20), Searcher ($19), Warm April ($16.20) and Summer Colony ($15).
Sunday's pick six covers races routh through nine. There are no changes in the fourth race, a sprint for 3-year-old maidens.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A Saturday morning telephone conversation between jockeys Gary Stevens and John Velazquez helped Summer Colony extend her winning streak to 6 with an upset in the $200,000 * at Santa Anita.
Stevens, riding Summer Colony for the first time, conferred with Velazquez, who has won aboard her four times.
"The main thing he wanted me to know was that she didn't need to be in front," Stevens said.
With the strategy session on his mind, Stevens gave Summer Colony an ideal trip in the Grade 2 La Canada.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Mongoose finally fulfilled all the promise he showed early in his career by registering a neck victory over a game but unlucky Red Bullet in Saturday's $500,000 * at Gulfstream Park. Red Bullet, the 2-1 favorite in a field of 14 older horses, was ultimately disqualified from second and placed fourth for interfering with Rize entering the far turn.
NEW ORLEANS - It's hard not to believe in trainer Tom Amoss at this stage of the game. Nearly three months into the Fair Grounds meet, Amoss has maintained nearly a 40-percent win rate with more than 100 starters at the meet, though through Friday's card he still trailed Steve Asmussen by six wins in the standings.
