Mon, 07/23/2001 - 00:00

Two tough 2's for Mazza

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Just like last summer, John Mazza holds a strong hand in the juvenile colt division. Mazza, whose Jersey-bred Waltz King won the Tyro Stakes last year, has two highly talented Jersey-breds in his barn: Capture the Silver, already a two-time winner here, and Hit the Trail, an unraced colt who has been burning up the track in the mornings. Both are owned by Holly Crest Farm.

Mon, 07/23/2001 - 00:00

Win City and filly are even-steven

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - There will be no Canadian Triple Crown winner again this year.

Win City made sure of that at Fort Erie Sunday, running down Queen's Plate winner Dancethruthedawn in the Prince of Wales and sending the $500,000 bonus for a Triple Crown sweep back into the vault for at least another season.

And while the connections of both Win City and Dancethruthedawn will consider going on to the Aug. 11 Breeders' Stakes, the 1 1/4-mile turf race that is the final jewel in the Canadian crown, it's just as likely the twain shall never again meet.

Mon, 07/23/2001 - 00:00

Regalclass tough filly to gauge

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Regalclass is definitely the class of Wednesday's allowance feature for fillies and mares at Woodbine. The question handicappers must ponder, however, is whether she will fire anything close to her best shot in the 6 1/2-furlong dash.

Mon, 07/23/2001 - 00:00

Jockey Arroyo out on bail

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr., who was arrested on Friday night and charged with two counts of assault, was free on $1,500 bail Saturday night and returned to race-riding Sunday at Belmont Park. He should be able to ride the entire Saratoga meet, as he is not scheduled to appear in court again until Sept. 10.

Mon, 07/23/2001 - 00:00

Maryland Million faces move

Cracking glass in Laurel Park's grandstand could force the Maryland Million, one of the biggest racing events in the state, to be run at Pimlico, according to an article in Sunday's Baltimore Sun.

The article said that Lou Raffetto Jr., chief operating officer at the Maryland Jockey Club, which owns and operates Laurel and Pimlico, plans to tell the Maryland racing commission Wednesday of the intention to move Maryland Million Day to Pimlico.

Sun, 07/22/2001 - 00:00

Kona Gold best in Bing Crosby

DEL MAR, Calif. - Even before Kona Gold crossed the finish line in Sunday's $196,000 Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup Handicap at Del Mar, jockey Alex Solis was celebrating the victory.

After a grueling stretch run, Kona Gold caught Caller One in the final sixteenth to win his seventh consecutive stakes by a neck. A few strides before the line, Solis pumped his fist in the air and did so again after the wire.

"I just love this horse to death," Solis said. "I'm so proud of him."

Sun, 07/22/2001 - 00:00

Velazquez earns Belmont riding crown

The Belmont Park spring/summer riding title literally went down to the wire Sunday as John Velazquez captured the final race of the day to edge Edgar Prado, 66-65, for the crown.

Velazquez's margin of victory in the 55-day meet came down to his triumph aboard Exaltado in the last race of the meet, holding off a late-charge by Prado, who settled for runner-up honors in the race - and meet - on St. Sunset.

Richard Dutrow Jr. earned his first career trainer's title, with 20 victories at the meet.

Sun, 07/22/2001 - 00:00

Win City victorious in Prince of Wales

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Win City, avenging his Queen's Plate defeat in dramatic fashion, stormed down the stretch under rider Constant Montpellier to take Sunday's $350,000 Prince of Wales Stakes by a half-length over Dancethruthedawn.

The 1 3/16 mile Prince of Wales follows the 1.25 mile Queen's Plate in the Canadian Triple Crown series for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.

Sun, 07/22/2001 - 00:00

Fan Club's Mister first in American Derby

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Fan Club's Mister, an Illinois-bred 16-1 shot saddled by a trainer with three horses in her barn, upstaged the expected showdown between Royal Spy and Sligo Bay, leading virtually all the way to win the Grade 2 $250,000 American Derby Sunday at Arlington.

Sun, 07/22/2001 - 00:00

Rideouts Patton wins Anderson Fowler

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Rideouts Patton is a bona fide turf sprinter.

Rideouts Patton carved out rapid fractions of 20.98, 43.38, and crossed the wire in 55.56 before a crowd of 15,703 to win the $50,000 Anderson Fowler for three-year-olds at five furlongs on Sunday. Tommy Turner rode Rideouts Patton, who improved to 3 for 4 on the turf. His only loss came by a head in a turf sprint allowance here July 12.

"The trainer did all the work," Turner said, "I just held on. He's got natural speed and I just let him do what he wanted to out there."