ALBANY, Calif. - "They fell asleep," said trainer Armando Lage, explaining Lil Sister Stich's victory in the Golden Poppy Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.
Lil Sister Stich ($9.40) stole the 1 1/16-mile turf race, opening a five-length lead despite slow fractions on a turf course listed as good.
Lil Sister Stich looked as if she would be passed by a flying Slow Down in the stretch, but she dug in after Slow Down pulled along side her and won the race by one length over Slow Down.
Fast Delivery ($15.80) closed best of all to repeat as champion in the $50,000 My Charmer Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
Fast Delivery, ridden by the meet's leading jockey, James Lopez, has earned over $263,000 in a 23-race career.
JAMAICA, N.Y - Seeyouinmydreams, the lesser-regarded half of Flying Zee Stable's odds-on entry, rode the rail all the way around and held off Lucky Sucre late to win the $80,000 East View Stakes for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.
It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to Sunday Driver, the part of the entry the betting public surely fancied. Pacesetter Moonlightandbeauty and Our Breadwinner completed the order of finish. Multiple Wins was scratched, and entered in a preliminary allowance race on Wednesday.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Come Friday, jockey Julian Pimentel makes one of the most difficult transitions in racing.
That's when Pimentel loses his apprentice status - and the attractive five-pound weight allowance that goes with it - and becomes a journeyman rider.
On Sunday, Pimentel gave himself some momentum by riding four winners on Aqueduct's nine-race card. He finished the first week of the inner track meet with seven winners to top the standings.
ALBANY, Calif. - Saturday's $55,000-added Gold Rush Stakes for 2-year-olds at Golden Gate will be somewhat overshadowed here on the West Coast by the $200,000 Hollywood Juvenile at Hollywood Park. Even Northern California's two most accomplished 2-year-olds, Yougottawanna and Publication, are scheduled to travel south for the Juvenile.
But the one-mile Gold Rush, a stepping-stone to the $125,000 Grade 3 Golden Gate Derby on Jan. 12 and the El Camino Real Derby, should still be an intriguing race.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Momentum's graded stakes debut was worth the wait.
After being scratched from the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in late November and the Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup in early December, Momentum won the Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap* (click here for chart) at Hollywood Park on Sunday, his first start on dirt.
The $100,000 race was marred by a fatal injury suffered by Penamacor, the winner of the Chilean Derby and 2000 Guineas last year.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Chris McCarron swept the two stakes at Hollywood Park on Saturday on his way to riding five winners from six mounts.
McCarron scored aboard Nepenthe ($3.60) in the $72,500 Waya Handicap* (click here for chart) and Bella Bella Bella in the $50,000 Golden Ballet Stakes. He ended the day with 282 career stakes wins at Hollywood Park, two better than Bill Shoemaker.
MIAMI - Band Is Passing, whose form tailed off a bit this summer, proved he is back on top of his game by rallying from just off the pace to score a 3 1/4-length decision over the late-striding Crash Course in Saturday's $100,000 Tropical Turf Handicap. The Grade 3 Tropical Turf* (click here for chart) highlighted the Grand Slam I program at Calder that included three other stakes valued at $100,000 apiece.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Raging Fever made a triumphant return to the races Saturday at Aqueduct, roaring out of the gate under Aaron Gryder and leading every jump to win the $82,775 Garland of Roses Handicap* (click here for chart) by 1 1/2 lengths.
Dat You Miz Blue, who was made the 4-5 favorite with the scratch of Xtra Heat, chased Raging Fever around the track and finished second, four lengths ahead of Look of the Lynx. Carafe, Tina Dynamite, Golightly, and Elektraline completed the order of finish.
NEW ORLEANS - Team Bonapaw might be headed to Dubai.
Kevin Greely, the racing secretary at Nad al Sheba Racecourse, put in a call this week to the connections of Bonapaw, the top sprinter at Fair Grounds, asking them to nominate the horse to the $2 million Dubai Golden Sheema this March - which is exactly what Bonapaw's New Orleans owners, Jim and Dennis Richards, had hoped for all along.
"They definitely want to go," said trainer Tucker Alonzo.
