Mon, 09/03/2001 - 00:00

Macho Uno cruises to a win

BENSALEM, Pa. - First, he displayed his studdish tendencies. Then, he flashed his championship form.

Macho Uno, in just his second start of the year, soared past Unbridled Elaine and Touch Tone in deep stretch with hardly any encouragement from jockey Gary Stevens to win Monday's Grade 3, $500,000 Pennsylvania Derby by 1 1/2 lengths. Unbridled Elaine, the first filly to run in the 23-year history of this race, finished second, a half-length ahead of pacesetting Touch Tone.

Mon, 09/03/2001 - 00:00

Velazquez caps record day in Diana

Michael J. Marten
Velazquez, who rode all 10 races on Monday's card, won races three through six aboard Gentleman Johnny, Warners, Exaltado, and Judge's Case.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - John Velazquez became the first jockey in the 133-year history of Saratoga Racecourse to win six races on a single program when he drove Starine through near the hedge for a convincing 5 1/4-length victory over Babae in Monday's $500,000 Diana Handicap. The Grade 2 Diana was the highlight of the final Mcard of the 2001 Saratoga meeting.

Mon, 09/03/2001 - 00:00

Spa tops million for first time

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N .Y. - Saratoga's record-breaking 2001 season ended with total attendance for the meet topping one million for the first time in the 133-year history of the track.

Despite winning six races on the final day, John Velazquez came out three short in the race for the jockey title with Jerry Bailey capturing his third straight and seventh overall crown with 55 victories. Bill Mott won his eighth training title in the last 10 years, saddling 22 winners, the second-highest total in track history.

Mon, 09/03/2001 - 00:00

Record streak ends at 14

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - Jockey Tim Moccasin ran his winning streak at Marquis Downs to a North American record 14 Saturday before finally losing.

Moccasin won the first three races, giving him 13 straight, before his mount in Saturday's fourth race was scratched, then came back to win the fifth race on Intricate Stitch by 11 1/4 lengths for number 14. But he then finished fourth with Miss Canuck in the Prairieland Handicap to end the streak.

Mon, 09/03/2001 - 00:00

Monmouth crowds, handle rise

Monmouth Park, which closed on Sunday after 72 live days of racing, posted a 10 percent increase in average attendance compared with last year, to 10,757 a day. The average was its highest since 1985, when it was 11,478.

The track set a record for a single program on Aug. 5 when 47,127 people turned out to watch Point Given race in the Haskell Invitational, breaking the mark of 43,591 set in 1962.

Mon, 09/03/2001 - 00:00

America's Pick 4 payoff delayed

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Monday's America's Pick 4 wager hit a snag when bettors with winning tickets were unable to cash for almost an hour afterthe final leg in the bet had been made official.

Hubbed at Arlington Park this year, the pick four payoff was held up because "money didn't come in from all the sites properly," according to Jack Lisowski, mutuels manager at Arlington. The site in question, according to Lisowski, was The Meadowlands. "We were verifying that the pools closed on time," said Lisowski.

Mon, 09/03/2001 - 00:00

Thistledown: Western Pride wins

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Western Pride ($2.80), who in his last start won the $500,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park, set all of the pace under Dana Whitney to take the $25,000 Ohio Derby Prep at Thistledown by 6 1/4 lengths over four 3-year-old rivals.

Owned by Theresa McArthur and trained by Richard Estvanko, Western Pride will make his next start in the Grade 2 $300,000 Ohio Derby on Sept. 29.

Mon, 09/03/2001 - 00:00

Ellis: Promise of War surprises

Promise of War ($22.80) stalked the pace before drawing off to an upset in the $75,000 Tri State Handicap, the closing-day feature at Ellis Park.

Promise of War finished 2 1/2 lengths ahead of late-closing Chorwon, the even-money favorite in a field of nine older horses.

Mon, 09/03/2001 - 00:00

Louisiana: Rare Cure rides the rail

Rare Cure ($20.60) rode a golden rail to an upset win in the $50,000 Prelude at Louisiana Downs.

The 1 1/8 mile-race for 3-year-olds is the local prep for the Grade 1 $500,000 Super Derby, and for his win in the race, Rare Cure earned a fees-paid berth to the Super Derby, to be run Sept. 23.

Every race on the card through the Prelude was won wire to wire on the rail.

In deep stretch, Rare Cure held off Quadrophonic Sound to win by a neck.

Mon, 09/03/2001 - 00:00

Woodbine: Rare Friends unbeaten

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Rare Friends remained unbeaten in three starts with an impressive front-running score in the $102,800 Simcoe Stakes, the first of six stakes on the Woodbine card restricted to graduates of local yearling sales.

Rare Friends ($6.20) prevailed by 2 3/4 lengths over Mighty Quinn, who was three lengths clear of third-place finisher Molly's Wisdom in the seven-furlong dash for male 2-year-olds.

Miss Noire ($15.80) rallied to collar Parisia in the final strides for a three-quarter-length tally in the $102,700 Muskoka for 2-year-old fillies.