SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There was something about You that struck Bobby Frankel's fancy when she finished second behind Cashier's Dream in a June allowance race. What Frankel saw was on display for all to see in Monday's Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga.
After chasing 3-5 favorite Cashier's Dream for more than six furlongs, You ran that rival down in the final 50 yards to win the $150,000 Adirondack by a neck before 19,653 at Saratoga. It was 15 1/4 lengths back to Magic Storm.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - John's Call bled when he finished last in Saturday's Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational and his future as a racehorse is in doubt.
On a scale of 1 to 10, John's Call bled a 10, according to trainer Tom Voss. Voss theorized that John's Call may have been affected by the severe heat that enveloped Saratoga during most of last week. John's Call did develop a heat rash on his coat.
"I've had five horses up here that bled," Voss said. "They've bled on Lasix, they've bled for the first time. I never saw heat like is."
MIAMI - Pharmstar registered an easy 4 3/4-length victory over even-money favorite Blissful Kiss in the $75,000 Desert Vixen Stakes at Calder, the opening leg of the filly division of the Florida Stallion Series.
Pharmstar disputed the early pace with Blissful Kiss, then swung outside and readily ran down Blissful Kiss leaving the eighth pole to win going away. Blissful Kiss was easily second best, finishing five lengths in front of Be Silver. Pharmstar ($5.40), trained by Ralph Ziadie, covered six furlongs in 1:12.79 under Cornelio Velasquez.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - White Cloud, second in the Alamedan Handicap at Pleasanton in his last start, may rate a narrow edge over five evenly-matched foes in the $34,000 allowance feature at a mile on the turf at Bay Meadows Wednesday.
The main question is whether White Cloud can repeat his big effort at Pleasanton while switching to a completely different type of surface. He was 34-1 in that race yet finished a clear second despite stumbling at the start.
DEL MAR, Calif. - In the 10 runnings of the $1 million Pacific Classic, trainer Bobby Frankel has won the race five times, and he's the only one who has sent out a two-time winner of the race, Tinners Way in 1994 and 1995. Frankel will try to increase all those numbers on Sunday, when he sends out Skimming, the race's defending champion, who worked six furlongs in 1:12.80 on Monday morning at Del Mar.
Skimming worked at 9:15, just after the morning's second renovation break, and went evenly and effortlessly under exercise rider Marco Ramirez.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockeys Jorge Chavez and John Velazquez got to take their Travers mounts out for a test drive Monday morning as preparations for the Mid-Summer Derby, which will be run on Aug. 25, heated up at Saratoga.
Four horses pointing to the Travers put in workouts Monday morning including Dollar Bill, A P Valentine, Jim Dandy winner Scorpion, and allowance winner Volponi. E Dubai, the Dwyer winner, worked on Sunday. Point Given, the Preakness, Belmont Stakes and Haskell winner, was scheduled to work Tuesday at Del Mar and remains 50-50 to run.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - When the doors opened for the 9:30 p.m. showing of "American Pie 2" at a local theater last Friday night, apprentice riders Jorge Duarte Jr., Julian Pimentel, and Victor Carrero rushed in to secure seats in the last row.
At night, these three show their youth, but in the afternoons at Monmouth Park, they look like veterans.
OKLAHOMA CITY- Top Hit picked an opportune time to win his first two-turn race. The developing colt, a four-time sprint winner, overtook pacesetter Unbridled Time at the wire to win the Grade 3 $300,000 Oklahoma Derby, the richest stakes of the season at Remington Park.
It was another 3 3/4 lengths back in third to Compendium in the 1 1/8-mile stakes.
Jockey Garrett Gomez rode Top Hit to improve to a perfect 3-for-3 in the race, which was formerly called the Remington Park Derby.
Garrett's other winners were Marked Tree in 1993 and Dazzling Falls in 1995.
