INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Heads Will Roll and Alex Solis had trainer Bobby Frankel worried in midstretch of Saturday's $100,000 Matiara Stakes at Hollywood Park.
Racing in third behind Live Your Dreams and Waki Music, Frankel was concerned that Heads Will Roll would not catch Live Your Dreams, who was running well on the lead.
"I didn't think she'd get her at the eighth pole," Frankel said. "I couldn't tell if Alex was confident or if she was getting to the other filly."
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Queue entered Saturday's Long Island Handicap with only one win in her last 12 starts. But she had been a bit unlucky, suffering four of the 11 losses by less than a length.
Saturday, there would be no need for excuses as Queue rallied five wide turning for home and powered her way to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $150,000, Grade 2 Long Island Handicap before 7,315 at Aqueduct.
Sweetest Thing, who enjoyed a perfect stalking trip, settled for second, a head in front of Lady Dora.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - The quest to determine this winter's top handicap horse in New York begins Monday when a full field of hard-trying older colts and geldings tangle in a nine-furlong money allowance on a nine-race Veterans Day card at Aqueduct.
Many in the 10-horse field have been given ample time off during the summer and early fall to be fresh for Aqueduct's handicap stakes during the upcoming winter and spring.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Speed Trial will try for a second win at the young Portland Meadows meeting on Monday when he takes on a half-dozen rivals in the featured eighth race, a one-mile affair for $6,250 claimers.
Speed Trial, a 4-year-old son of Maudlin, made short work of $3,200 sprinters here on Nov. 4, drawing out to score by 2 1/2 lengths after six furlongs in 1:13.47. Owner and trainer Pat Sonnen claimed Speed Trial out of that sharp score and bumps him up three levels for Monday's return, which might be seen as a sign of confidence. Sonnen has tabbed Felipe Valdez to ride.
FORT ERIE, Ont. - In an extraordinary move, trainer Don MacRae challenged the official result of a Sept. 16 race at Fort Erie - via the photo-finish.
The Ontario Racing Commission stewards had declared a dead heat for the win between Sweeping Eva and Nabethian, a horse MacRae trains for Robert Saviola.
The appeal, heard by a panel Oct. 31, was successful. The proper order of finish was determined to be Nabethian first, Sweeping Eva second.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Win City collared longshot Wicklow Highlands in deep stretch to capture the Grade 3, $163,800 Autumn Handicap at Woodbine on Saturday.
Wicklow Highlands led the way through splits of 23.93 seconds, 47.60, and 1:11.76 in the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up. Win City raced well off the early lead, and was three lengths back of favored Kiss a Native on the backstretch.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Watch, a classy and consistent filly but until Saturday never a graded stakes winner, got a perfect trip under Craig Perret to win the 28th running of the Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Watch, trained by Frank Brothers, finished a length ahead of 25-1 shot Sitka in the $169,350, Grade 3 Cardinal. Gino's Spirits, who had traffic trouble in the stretch, was another nose back in third.
Babae, the 11-10 favorite in a field of nine fillies and mares, had no apparent excuse, running sixth.
JAMAICA, N.Y. - Spook Express is California-bound.
After briefly considering a trip to Japan for the Japan Cup, trainer Tom Skiffington will stick with his original plan of running Spook Express - the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf - in the $500,000, Grade 1 Matriarch at Hollywood Park on Nov. 25. Spook Express was to be flown to California on Monday, with Hollywood Derby hopeful Reduit and The Parting Glass, who will run in an allowance race.
MIAMI - Trainer Marty Wolfson is considering the $200,000 Remsen Stakes for Rulebook, his improving 2-year-old who finished a wide-running second behind even-money favorite Booklet in the In Reality Stakes at Calder on Oct. 13.
"It all depends on who goes in there," Wolfson said during training hours on Saturday. "I think there's a pretty good shot the race could come up with a short field. I guess there's a chance Booklet could run, although the one I don't want to face is Bill Mott's undefeated colt Listen Here."
