HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - In a race that played out like a carbon copy of last month's Holy Bull Stakes, Booklet held off Harlan's Holiday after a spirited stretch duel to take Saturday's $200,000 * at Gulfstream Park.
The Fountain of Youth, like the Holy Bull at 1 1/16 miles, saw Booklet dart off to a clear lead early, forcing Harlan's Holiday to try to catch him. He almost did, but Booklet held on bravely to win by a nose.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The $150,000 Buena Vista Handicap at Santa Anita on Monday is simply a launching pad for Astra's 2002 campaign, according to trainer Laura de Seroux.
A Grade 1 winner last year, Astra makes her first start in six months in the Grade 2 Buena Vista, which is run at a mile on turf, a distance shorter than her optimum trip.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Just 24 hours after 2-5 shot Pleasant County finished out of the money and wiped out $396,410 in show bets at Gulfstream, Nice Boots Baby, who had $253,506 riding on her in the show pool from a total pool of $275,489, finished last as the 2-5 choice in Saturday's $80,750 Dearly Precious Stakes at Aqueduct.
LAUREL, Md. - Unlike two years ago, when Affirmed Success looked every bit the 1-2 favorite winning the Grade 2 General George Handicap, there are legitimate concerns regarding his chances in Monday's renewal of the $200,000 General George at Laurel Park.
Affirmed Success, now 8 years old, has spent the last two years unsuccessfully chasing the Breeders' Cup Mile on turf. Since winning the General George, Affirmed Success is 1 for 4 on dirt, his win coming in the off-the-turf Jaipur Handicap.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Three and a half years after winning his first Grade 1 race, Cetewayo struck again on Saturday, parlaying a devastating run around the final bend into a convincing 3 1/4-length victory over 5-2 favorite Band Is Passing in the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap*.
LAUREL, Md. - The connections of Xtra Heat won't learn until Monday night whether their fleet filly will be honored with an Eclipse Award for her exploits of 2001. On Saturday, before a boisterous crowd at Laurel Park, Xtra Heat began to stake her claim for a title in 2002.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - Five trainers were fined and suspended for positive drug tests for the prohibited Class 3 medication Clonidine found in horses last year at Fonner Park. The rulings, dated Jan. 31, were released Friday and Saturday by the Nebraska State Racing Commission.
NEW ORLEANS - After consecutive days with graded stakes races, the pace at Fair Grounds slows to allowance speed on Monday. First-level allowance speed, at that.
The featured ninth is an entry-level turf route allowance for 3-year-olds which has attracted an overflow field, with 12 horses in the body of the race and two on the also-eligible list.
The favorite is Royalton, who looks as strong on paper as he did in two previous races at this meet against comparable opposition. Skeptics will note that Royalton lost both of those starts as a heavy favorite.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Gilded Wings, who served notice of her talent last November when she won a six-furlong maiden race in a sharp 1:08.99, will try to remain perfect at that distance Monday when she makes her stakes debut in the $50,000 Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park.
The race is restricted to 3-year-old fillies and has drawn a field of eight.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - People's Princess, who made up all but one length of a six-length deficit to Zonk in the final furlong of last month's Affectionately Handicap, gets another crack at Zonk on Monday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Rare Treat Handicap at Aqueduct.
A field of seven fillies and mares was entered for the Rare Treat, but handicappers figure to zero in on Zonk and People's Princess in the nine-furlong race. The extra distance and the fact she now has a race under her belt could give the edge to People's Princess, trained by Bill Mott.
