Sat, 10/20/2001 - 00:00

Mistake can't stop Quel Senor

FAR HILLS, N.J. - Quel Senor, who failed to complete his last race over jumps at Saratoga two months ago, overcame a bad jump on the final circuit to win Saturday's $250,000 Breeders' Cup Steeplechase at Far Hills Racecourse.

Sat, 10/20/2001 - 00:00

I'm All Yours completes Pletcher double

ELMONT, N. Y. - With jockey Jerry Bailey up, I'm All Yours motored through the stretch with a late outside run to nail 22-1 longshot Statement for a half-length win in the $150,000 Mohawk Handicap on Saturday at Belmont Park. Celtic Sky, the favorite, checked in third in the 1 1/8-mile grass race, three-quarters of a length behind Statement.

Sat, 10/20/2001 - 00:00

Volponi flies to victory in Pegasus Handicap

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Volponi used a strong closing move to win the $250,000 Pegasus Handicap by 2 3/4 lengths under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan at The Meadowlands Friday night.

Volponi, a son of Cryptoclearance, sat off the pace, swept to the lead in the final furlong of the Grade 2 race, and then held off favorite Burning Roma to earn his second straight victory and his second career graded stakes victory. Trained by Hall of Famer Phil Johnson and owned by Amherst Stable and Spruce Pond Stable, Volponi was timed in 1:46.55 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Sat, 10/20/2001 - 00:00

North Jersey ideal if Cup goes prime time

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Breeders' Cup officials completed a tour of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority's racing properties Friday night with an escorted look at The Meadowlands.

The Authority is hopeful it can stage a World Thoroughbred Championships at either Monmouth Park or The Meadowlands some time before the end of the decade. Breeders' Cup officials also toured Monmouth in August.

Sat, 10/20/2001 - 00:00

Storm Cruiser's short stay was profitable

FORT ERIE, Ont. - Armand Concessi was shocked and disappointed when he learned that he had lost Storm Cruiser in a $62,500 optional claiming race at Woodbine on Thursday.

The Fort Erie trainer had risked entering Storm Cruiser, a 5-year-old gelding, in the turf race after he was unable to find a suitable race at his home track. Just 10 days earlier Storm Cruiser had captured Fort Erie's $50,000 Bridgeburg Stakes.

Storm Cruiser finished fourth in Thursday's race, picking up $3,708 for his effort, which came up just a little more than a length short.

Sat, 10/20/2001 - 00:00

Delaware: Grundlefoot cruises

The last time Grundlefoot switched from turf to dirt, he produced a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure. A similar surface change produced a 2 3/4-length victory in the $75,000 Kelso Stakes at Delaware Park.

Coming off a third-place finish in a turf stakes at Pimlico, Grundlefoot ($12), ridden by Anthony Black, covered 1 3/16 miles in 2:01.76.

Sat, 10/20/2001 - 00:00

Woodbine: Starbeau hangs on at 48-1

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Starbeau, a 48-1 shot ridden by Patrick Husbands, led most of the way to capture the $142,625 Bunty Lawless for Ontario-sired runners at Woodbine.

Starbeau ($99.60) dueled with Dance for Olga through fractions of 23.05 and 46.53 seconds while being stalked by Val de Dash in the one-mile turf race.

Sat, 10/20/2001 - 00:00

Arlington: Rylstone wins maiden in turf stakes

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The handful of runners trainer Lynn Whiting has started at Arlington Park this year have, for the most part, performed poorly, many of them at short prices. That all changed when the longshot Rylstone won the $75,000 Manila Handicap by three lengths.

Rylstone, winless in his career, went off at 12-1 because he had failed to impress in a pair of Saratoga maiden races. But those races were dirt sprints and the Manila was a one-mile turf race, obviously much more to Rylstone's liking.

Sat, 10/20/2001 - 00:00

Calder: Switch to dirt suits Western Pride

Heavy rains forced the $200,000 Calder Derby to be switched from the turf to the main track. The surface switch played right into the hands of Western Pride, who made a triumphant return to Miami by posting an easy five-length victory over Tour of the Cat.

The race would have had Grade 3 status if it had been contested on the grass as originally scheduled, but its graded status will now be reviewed by the National Graded Stakes Committee.

Sat, 10/20/2001 - 00:00

Keeneland: Valley View lived up to its billing

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The pre-race wagering for the $113,600 Valley View Stakes at Keeneland suggested the Grade 3 turf race was going to be close. In a field of 10 3-year-old fillies, Sluice was a tepid 5-2 favorite, followed by a major cluster in the 5-1 to 10-1 range.

But hardly anyone could have predicted it would have been this close.

Cozzy Corner and Chausson Poire finished in a dead heat for first, giving a symbolic conclusion to a race that seemed to thoroughly vex an ontrack crowd of 20,811 and thousands of off-track bettors.