Colorful Tour, owned and trained by Noel Hickey, edged clear Saturday to a 1 1/4-length victory over even-money favorite Mucho Rapido in the $106,000 Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Ill.
GROVE CITY, Ohio- Closing weekend of the Fall meeting at Beulah Park was marred by a horrific three horse spill which killed one rider and sent another to the hospital.
The incident took place when Winds of Sonora ridden by apprentice Arnold Ruiz broke down in midstretch of the third race, both My Martina, ridden by Mike Heath, and Kaicoltra ridden by Chuck Costanzo, fell over their fallen rival.
Kaicoltra appeared to step on Ruiz's back as she went down.
NEW ORLEANS - Fan Club's Mister was the most accomplished horse running in the $100,000 Woodchopper Handicap on Saturday at Fair Grounds. He also drew the worst post in the race, 14, but with two scratches and a quick dash from the starting gate, Fan Club's Mister cleared the Woodchopper field before the first turn and outclassed it in thestretch, leading virtually all the way to win by a half-length.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Summer Colony had already demonstrated the ability to win easy. In Saturday's $111,100 Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct, she showed she could win the hard way too.
Seemingly on her way to another easy score in her stakes debut, Summer Colony began to pull herself up in midstretch and had to fight off a late challenge from the hard-charging Stop for Schnapps to win the Grade 3 Ladies by a neck. Strolling Belle, the two-time defending Ladies champion, finished another 4 3/4 lengths back in third.
MIAMI, Fla. - One Eyed Joker, whose 3-year-old campaign started at Calder on New Year's Day with a sixth place finish in the Tropical Oaks, ended over the same course 12 months later on a happier note with a half length victory over Tour Of The Cat in Saturday's $100,000 Pete Axthelm Stakes. Eibar Coa rode the winner then completed a sweep of the afternoon's co-features by guiding Extend to an upset win in the $100,000 Stage Door Betty Handicap.
MIAMI - Three months ago the connections of On the Game thought enough of him to test him against the likes of Western Pride and Macho Uno in the Grade 2 Ohio Derby. On Monday the 3-year-old On the Game finds himself in a much cushier spot when he makes his local debut going a mile in an optional claiming race.
On the Game won three of his first four starts, all at his home base at Woodbine, to earn himself a berth in the Ohio Derby. But he found the competition a bit too much to handle, finishing sixth and last after flashing early speed.
It doesn't matter if the setting is Maryland, Pennsylvania, or Delaware. No matter where Lorline runs, she's almost always the favorite.
A 5-year-old mare trained by Michael Dickinson, Lorline has been the public choice in seven of her last 10 starts, including each of her four most recent races. Returning off a seven-week layoff, Lorline is likely to be favored again in Monday's $25,000 Deck the Halls Handicap, a six-furlong overnight race for fillies and mares at Philadelphia Park. First post for the Christmas Eve card is 12:15 p.m., 10 minutes earlier than usual.
NEW ORLEANS - Hail to Bag won the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile by almost three lengths for his fifth straight win. The best horses chasing him that day are resting now. So you figure it out - how tough will Hail to Bag be in Sunday's Louisiana Futurity at Fair Grounds?
The undefeated Hail to Bag will be an overwhelming favorite in the six-furlong colts and geldings division of the Futurity, which attracted seven Louisiana-breds who will run for about a $65,000 purse if all start.