POMONA, Calif. - The $49,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes was bet like it was a one-horse race at Fairplex Park on the opening weekend of the Los Angeles County Fair meet. Feverish started at 3-5 in the 1 1/16-mile race (1:44.34) for fillies and mares, but it was a surprising Cee Dreams ($10.40) who rolled by 6 1/2 lengths while Feverish struggled in second. Cee's Elegance finished a length back in third.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland Race Course hopes to link several of its upcoming major stakes in multirace wagers with events from other major jurisdictions, a track official said Monday at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Kentucky Racing Commission.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Heads turned when Rod and Lorraine Rodriguez spent the highest price ever in a Washington State Sale for Collect Call in the Marshall Naify Dispersal Sale last August. Sure, she had looked good winning her maiden in the Lassie Stakes at Hastings Park but $250,000 seemed like a lot of money for a 2-year-old filly who had just finished third in a minor stakes at Emerald Downs.
Leading trainer Cole Norman picked up his sixth stakes win of the meeting, sending out Tricky Storm ($5.20) to a sharp nine-length win in the $40,000 Minstrel Stakes at Louisiana Downs.
Ruling Star, also trained by Norman, finished second. Favored Nuclear Assembly chased Tricky Storm in vain for the first half-mile of the six-furlong race while attempting to get out in the turn then faded down the stretch to finish fourth.
The scratch of Thunderello, who would have been the heavy favorite in the $48,500 Comet Stakes at The Meadowlands, left the door open for Final Table to win the 2-year-old race.
Final Table ($7.60) set a sharp pace and hung on to win the six-furlong Comet by a half-length over Boston Common. It was another 6 3/4 lengths back to the favorite, Winning Talk, in third.
EDMONTON, Alberta - A virtual unknown at the start of the Northlands Park season, the Ernie Keller-trained Rancour stole the show in the $100,000 Speed to Spare.
Keller and owner Dennis Dale claimed Rancour, a Kentucky-bred 4-year-old in June. Since then he has won two stakes and boosted his year's earnings to over $127,000.
Rancour probably will be pointed toward the $100,000 Premier's Handicap at Hastings Park on Oct. 14.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Heads turned when Rod and Lorraine Rodriguez spent the highest price ever in a Washington State Sale for Collect Call in the Marshall Naify Dispersal Sale last August. The price tag of $250,000 seemed like a lot of money for a 2-year-old filly who had just finished third in a minor stakes at Emerald Downs.
It turns out she was a bargain for the Rodriguez family and with the $105,000 Collect Call ($2.90) took home winning the British Columbia Breeders' Cup Oaks at Hastings Park, her total earnings are now $379,055.
POMONA, Calif. - A deep closer won the $49,500 Phil D. Shepherd Stakes at Fairplex Park, but not the one most bettors expected. Literal Prowler ($12.20) rallied from last to outfinish late-runner Grey Memo, the 8-5 favorite, by three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/16-mile stakes.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - U S S Tinosa ($11.80) and his trainer, Larry Richardson, each won their first race in the $75,000 Juvenile Stakes at Thistledown.
U S S Tinosa defeated favorite Watch Me Fire by a length, and it was 10 lengths back to Truth Matters, who finished third in the field of 10 Ohio-bred 2-year-olds.
Richardson has had his trainer's license only since last month.
Generous Rosi ($10) continued a remarkable resurgence in his new career on dirt by posting an easy victory in the Grade 3 $82,500 Turfway Park Fall Championship.
Taken straight to the lead from his outside post by jockey Lonnie Meche, Generous Rosi was never seriously threatened in the 1 1/8-mile race, winning by four lengths over Storm Day, the 8-5 favorite in a field of six older horses. The victory was the second in a row for Generous Rosi since trainer Niall O'Callaghan moved the 6-year-old horse to dirt.