SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - Tim Moccasin will be riding an unprecedented streak of 10 consecutive winners when racing resumes here at Marquis Downs on Saturday.
Moccasin, who had returned to the saddle here just two weeks ago following a lengthy absence, won the last three races on Friday night's card and then swept the entire seven-race Marquis program Saturday night.
Love That Lion ($6.20) went straight for the lead and stayed there at Sacramento to win the $50,000 Earlene McCabe Derby by 3 1/14 lengths, running six furlongs in 1:08.00 on a fast track.
Favored Flylikethwind was second, getting as close as he did only because winning rider Frank Albarado eased urging his mount in deep stretch.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Soundtrack came from far back to collar Libretto in the final strides and win her first stakes in the $145,600 Ontario Colleen Handicap at Woodbine.
Soundtrack trailed the 10-horse field early in the one-mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies. Dreams Go Bye set fractions of 23.26 and 46.01 seconds over the good ground while being tracked by Serena's Tune.
ALTOONA, Iowa - Curious Conundrum and apprentice jockey Zoe Cadman rallied for a half-length victory in the final strides of the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Oaks, and spoil the return of jockey Shane Sellers, who finished second aboard 1-5 favorite Momentous.
Cadman and Curious Conundrum saved ground to the stretch, stalking pacesetter Supreme Song. They then split horses a furlong from the wire, and collared Momentous in the final strides, running the 1 1/16 miles in 144.64.
EDMONTON, Alberta - Fancy As made a bold move in the lane to overtake Stage Classic and win the $150,000 Canadian Derby, making him undefeated in 11 starts in Alberta.
As expected, Harbour Ice and the favored Ontario import Stage Classic set the pace with Fancy As stalking through the first mile of the Grade 3, 1 3/8-mile race.
As the field approached the final turn, jockey Richard Hamel asked Fancy As to move, and the two favorites battled down the lane, much the same as in the Aug. 6 Manitoba Derby. But this time Fancy As was able to catch Stage Classic.
Nanie's Dinner's affinity for the Sawyer Turf Course was evident again, as she held on to win the Sangue Handicap at Louisiana Downs. Outsider Due To Win, a stakes winner on the turf here last year, came close to making a triumphant return, as her late rally came up three quarters of a length short. Peruvian Waltz was third, followed by Taffy, a winner by three lengths over Nanie's Dinner in the Delicada Stakes on the main track Aug. 5.
Square Cut Diamond held on by a half-length over a fast-closing Ride the Tiger to win the $75,300 Count Turf Stakes at Delaware Park.
Square Cut Diamond, ridden by Mark Johnston, pressed the pace set by Moonmon through a snappy first quarter in 21.81 seconds and a half-mile in 45.64. Square Cut Diamond gained a narrow lead with a furlong remaining in the six-furlong Count Turf and outlasted Ride the Tiger, who came with a late and wide move.
Outstander, the favorite of the six-horse field of 2-year-olds, finished third, a head behind the runner-up.
DEL MAR, Calif. - While Bob Baffert was basking in the glow of a Grade 1 coast-to-coast stakes sweep over the weekend with Point Given and Habibti, his former assistant, Eoin Harty, was trying to figure out why odds-on favorite Tempera was a disappointing third, behind the Baffert-trained Habibti, in Sunday's Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante for 2-year-old fillies.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Sunday's $35,000 Richmond Derby Trial is the last chance for local 3-year-olds to earn a berth in the $200,000 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 29. I'm Free has won five of the six stakes held this meet for 3-year-olds with Diglett winning the other.
Both I'm Free and Diglett are planning to run in the Emerald Downs Breeders' Cup Derby on Sept. 9 and their absence turns the Derby Trial into a wide-open affair.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Papparizi will try to make it three straight wins as he faces a tough field of older claimers running for a top claiming price of $8,000 at Hastings Park. The 6 1/2-furlong event attracted eight horses and headlines a card that features full fields and competitive races.
