Sun, 08/19/2001 - 00:00

Once Around wins Junior Champion Stakes

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Once Around, still a maiden before Sunday, took the turf nicely in her grass debut, taking the $50,000 Junior Champion Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at one mile.

Once Around, trained by Vicki Oliver for G. Watts Humphrey, came five-wide in the final turn under Dale Beckner and never relinquished the lead, holding on for a 1 1/4-length win over Christmas Party and the troubled favorite Multitudinous. Once Around, a daughter of You and I, was making her second career start. She paid $34.60 and topped a $182.60 exacta.

Sat, 08/18/2001 - 00:00

Del Mar pick six carryover reaches $180,094

DEL MAR, Calif. - A longshot winner in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks - Golden Apples ($44) - helped to create a pick six carryover of $180,094 on Sunday at Del Mar.

Sunday's program, which begins at 12:30 p.m., features the $1 million Pacific Classic, the richest race of the meeting, and a guaranteed pick six pool of $1 million.

The pick six promotion was in place before the pool carried over from Saturday's races, and now there is little doubt it will hit seven-figures on its own.

Sat, 08/18/2001 - 00:00

Golden Apples takes Del Mar Oaks

DEL MAR, Calif. - Five days after she arrived from Europe, Golden Apples pulled a major upset in Saturday's $300,000 Del Mar Oaks.

Rallying six-wide throught the stretch, Golden Apples ($44) won her first stakes in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, which her first start for owner Gary Tanaka and trainer Ben Cecil. She was bought privately last month, and joined Cecil's stable on Wednesday after clearing quarantine.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Golden Apples ran 1 1-8 miles on turf in 1:47.98 before an ontrack crowd of 18,474.

Sat, 08/18/2001 - 00:00

Europeans conquer Chicago

Benoit & Associates
German-bred Silvano, racing for Stiftung Geshut Farhrof, draws clear to a 3-length victory in the 19th running of the Arlington Million on Saturday.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Andreas Suborics had never ridden in the United States. Trainer Andreas Wohler had never started a horse in the United States. And no German horse had ever captured the Arlington Million.

But Wohler brought Silvano to the Million in perfect fashion, Suborics gave the horse a perfect ride, and Silvano gave his German owners, Gestut Fahrhof Siftung, a Million trophy, with an authoritative three-length win over Hap. Pacesetting Redattore finished third, and for the second straight year, Bienamado finished unplaced as the Million favorite.

Sat, 08/18/2001 - 00:00

England's Legend romps in Beverly D.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The last time heavy rain visited Arlington on Million Day, conditions were so bad that Shug McGaughey scratched his star turf horse, Lure, from the Million.

That was in 1993. On Saturday, Lure's daughter England's Legend scored a belated but spectacular triumph for her sire, romping to a front-running, 7 3/4-length victory over a yielding course in the $700,000 Beverly D. at Arlington Park.

Sat, 08/18/2001 - 00:00

Startac just gets up to take Secretariat

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - As bad as they felt after Astra flopped in the Beverly D., that's how good the connections of Startac felt after the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes was run Saturday.

Startac, carrying the colors of the Allen Paulson Living Trust and trained by Simon Bray, was up in the final jump under Alex Solis to nail Strut the Stage in the 25th running of the definitive midsummer race for 3-year-old turf horses. The first two finishers are sons of Theatrical, the champion turf horse of 1987 owned by the Paulsons.

Sat, 08/18/2001 - 00:00

Flute goes to head of the class

NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Flute wins Alabama by 4 3/4 lengths Saturday at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Flute took command of the Alabama right from the start, and with her victory in the Grade 1 race took command of the 3-year-old filly division.

Somewhat surprisingly, Flute outsprinted her six rivals to the front entering the first turn and then proceeded to lead at every call in winning the $750,000 Alabama by 4 3/4 lengths before 35,616 fans Saturday at Saratoga.

Sat, 08/18/2001 - 00:00

Pure Precision takes Sapling

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Pure Precision completed a sweep of Monmouth's 2-year-old stakes for males Saturday. The George Steinbrenner-owned colt captured the Grade 3 $150,000 Sapling, the premier race for juvenile colts here, by 1 1/4 lengths over even-money favorite Truman's Raider in front of a crowd of 13,047.

Sat, 08/18/2001 - 00:00

Lewinski headlines inaugural Horseshoe

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Lewinski will likely be favored in Tuesday's first running of the $50,000 Golden Horseshoe. One of Fort Erie's seven new stakes this year, the event is restricted to fillies and mares, 3 years old and upward. Ten runners are scheduled to compete over seven furlongs on grass.

Sat, 08/18/2001 - 00:00

Puchungo out to prove he's no 1-hit wonder

MIAMI - Puchungo shook up the local handicap division in late June when he upset Hal's Hope in the Primal Handicap. On Monday, the Peruvian-bred Puchungo will attempt to prove that victory was no fluke when he takes on six rivals, including Dancing Guy, in the $32,000 Higgler Handicap at 1 1/16 miles.