ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Trainer Chris Block and his family, the ownership group Team Block, swept the two turf races in Arlington's Prairie State Festival when the big gray gelding Reno Rumble swept past the field and won the $75,000 Cardinal Handicap by 2 1/2 lengths.
The Prairie State Festival featured six $75,000 stakes races for Illinois-breds. Earlier in the day, Ioya Two won the Lincoln Heritage Handicap for the Blocks.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Eye Slew the City assumed command going into the clubhouse turn and set the balance of the pace to draw off to a 1 3/4-length victory over eight Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies in Saturday's $50,000 Annie Oakley Stakes at Thistledown.
Ashwood C C finished second in the 1 1/16-mile race, a neck in front of the odds-on favorite, Across the Creek.
Sent away as the second betting choice Eye Slew the City ($8.80) was timed in 1:45.32 over a fast racing surface.
Saratoga Games gave jockey Mario Pino his fifth win on Saturday's program at Pimlico by capturing the $60,000 Humphrey S. Finney Stakes for 3-year-old Maryland-breds.
Saratoga Games ($3), trained by Anthony Dutrow, won his third straight race, including two stakes.
The race was reduced to five starters after four horses scratched when the stakes was switched from turf to a track that was upgraded to fast during the day.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Joe Orseno's cloudy spring brightened somewhat Saturday morning when Red Bullet and Macho Uno put in sharp workouts over Belmont Park's training track. Although both horses have been training on a farm in Ocala, Fla., these were the first works by either at a racetrack since last year.
MIAMI - A torrential downpour that struck the area shortly after the beginning of the program forced the $50,000 Office Queen Stakes from the turf to a sloppy main track at Calder. The change in surfaces played right into the hands of Multiplicity, who set all the pace before outgaming Wander Mom by a half-length, giving jockey Jocy Gomez her first career stakes victory.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Max's Pal scored a three-length win over I'm Sentimental in the $75,000 Longfellow Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Under Rick Wilson, Max's Pal ($3.20), a 4-year-old son of Mar-quetry, powered to the front after stalking the fractions set by I'm Sentimental and eventual third-place finisher Personal First. He was timed in 1:09 for six furlongs.
"Max is as tough as any horse I've ever had," said Ben Perkins Jr., the winning trainer. "We started him here because he's doing so well, he trains at Monmouth and [owner Raymond Dweck] is from New Jersey."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One year after winning the Locust Grove Handicap at Churchill Downs, Colstar successfully defended her title with a half-length victory over Solvig in the Grade 3, $172,800 race.
Saving ground throughout under jockey Jon Court, Colstar tracked the pace in fifth, as longshot Alybgood set reasonable splits of 23.97 seconds, 48.10, and 1:12.14. She re-mained fifth until the top of the lane, when she outclosed Solvig with a final furlong in under 12 seconds. Megans Bluff was third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Solvig.
SALEM, N.H. - There were no surprises in Saturday's Grade 2 $200,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes Handicap at Rockingham Park. Hap, the 1-5 favorite, swept past his rivals on the final turn and drew out through the stretch for a seven-length score. Gander, the 5-2 second choice, finished second, 1 3/4 lengths in front of 13-1 third choice Flash of Joy.
ELMONT, N.Y. - The connections of Beautiful Pleasure said their former champion needed a race. She may need more than one.
Looking like a heavyweight fighter trying one last comeback, a heavier, slower Beautiful Pleasure gave way after leading for six furlongs of Saturday's Grade 1 Hempstead Handicap and finished last. She was seven lengths behind Critical Eye, who caught Jostle by a neck in the shadow of the wire.
Apple of Kent, the Shuvee winner, finished three-quarters of a length back in third. Serra Lake, Darling My Darling, and Crescent Coast were next.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Bob Baffert on Friday received a temporary restraining order against the California Horse Racing Board, allowing him to train while an appeal is heard for a morphine positive found in one of his runners last year.
Baffert's lawyer, Neil Papiano, received the stay from Los Angeles Superior Court judge David Yaffe. Baffert was given a 60-day suspension by the CHRB on June 17 after morphine was found in the post-race urine test of Nautical Look, who won an allowance race at Hollywood Park in May 2000.
