ARCADIA, Calif. - Watching his filly trail in last-place on the backstretch of Saturday's $500,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes, trainer Darrell Vienna feared the worst.
"I thought she wouldn't run at all," Vienna said. "I thought, this is going to be a disaster."
Vienna was never more delighted to be wrong. With a convincing rally on the final turn, Janet pulled an upset in the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon, outfinishing Tranquility Lake, the 6-5 favorite and defending champion.
ARCADIA, Calif. - When Essence of Dubai finished last of three in the Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 15, it seemed improbable that he would win a major stakes this fall.
But on Saturday, after Came Home, the winner of the Hopeful Stakes, was scratched with a possible ankle injury, Essence of Dubai won the $250,000 Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita.
Essence of Dubai ($4) finished a mile in 1:37.16, benefiting from a perfect ride from jockey Alex Solis.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Western Pride led all the way Saturday to win his second Derby in the Iron Belt, outlasting longshot Woodmoon and heavily favored Macho Uno in the 67th running of the $300,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown.
Ridden by Dana Whitney and based locally with trainer Richie Estvanko, Western Pride prevailed by a half-length over
22-1 shot Woodmoon, with Macho Uno another neck back in third. Seven weeks before, Western Pride used front-running tactics to win the $500,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park.
BELMONT, N.Y. - Timboroa continued Bobby Frankel's magical year Saturday in a gate-to-wire, three-length victory over odds-on favorite King Cugat in the $750,000, Grade 1 Turf Classic Invitational before 7,732 at Belmont Park.
Cetewayo rallied to be third, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Blazing Fury. With the Flow and Mutafaweq completed the order of finish. Slew Valley and Honor Glide scratched.
ELMONT, N.Y. - European sensation Lailani proved she is as capable on this side of the Atlantic as she is on her home turf by winning Saturday's $750,000 Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park.
Lailani, the slight second choice, ran down even-money favorite England's Legend in deep stretch for a three-quarter-length win. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Starine, the third choice, in third.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Queenie Belle, who spent seven months sidelined with an injury earlier this year, won her first graded stakes in more than a year in Saturday's $209,400, Grade 2 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap.
Queenie Belle ($7.20) ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.64, scoring a 1 1/4-length win over 19-1 Letter of Intent.
The victory left owner Gary Seidler and trainer Ben Cecil planning for a start in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff at Belmont Park on Oct. 27 instead of the California Cup Matron at Santa Anita on Nov. 3, a race Queenie Belle won in 2000.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - It should have been clear about 20 minutes before the running of the $150,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity that the Northern California shipper Publication was in town for good reason. Publication, a winner of his lone start, took heavy early betting action, although he drifted up to 5-1 by the time he won the Grade 3 Futurity by a neck over the late-running It'sallinthechase.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Came Home and Habibti, both morning line favorites, were withdrawn from Breeders' Cup preps for 2-year-olds at Santa Anita over the weekend.
Came Home, who was entered for Saturday's $250,000 Norfolk Stakes, was scratched after developing a filling in his right ankle, owner John Toffan said. Habibti, who was expected to start in Sunday's $250,000 Oak Leaf Stakes for fillies, was diagnosed with a temperature on Saturday morning, trainer Bob Baffert said.
MIAMI, Fla. - The Florida Stallion Series has been a virtual closed shop through the first two rounds, with local-based juveniles making up nearly the entire starting lineups in both divisions.
But with $400,000 up for grabs in each of the finales, the In Reality for colts and geldings and the My Dear Girl for fillies, that figures to change.
In fact, an invasion already began earlier this week, with the arrival of Booklet for the In Reality.
The Florida Stallion Series finales are the highlight the
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sweetest Thing blew away her rivals as the heavy favorite in Saturday's $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara for Canadian-breds at Woodbine.
Sweetest Thing, trained by Roger Attfield, completed a unique double by winning the turf race. She beat males in her previous start in the Breeders' Stakes, the third jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown.