CALGARY, Alberta - Fancy As did the expected last Saturday in capturing Stampede Park's $100,000 Alberta Derby as the 1-2 favorite. He unleashed his patented stretch drive under Richard Hamel for a two-length victory over Baie Comeau.
Fancy As covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:46 and earned $63,000 for owners Linda and Red Smith, boosting his career bankroll to $263,632. The victory in the Grade 3 race was the eighth straight and ninth from 10 starts for Fancy As, a gelded son of Dignitas.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Hastings Park and Emerald Downs announced their teams for the Cam-Am Jockey Challenge that begins at Emerald Downs June 29 and concludes at Hastings Park on Monday, July 2. Each team will consist of four riders from each track.
David Wilson heads a Hastings Park contingent that includes Sam Krasner, Chris Loseth, and Brian Johnson. Fernando Serna and Frank Fuentes have been named as alternates.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Heads or tails?
Although seven California-breds entered Wednesday's $46,500 feature at Hollywood Park, the first-condition sprint boils down to just two main contenders: Flags at Dawn holds an advantage in class and pace; Waingarth holds an edge in speed and endurance. At seven furlongs, bettors can flip a coin, or back the higher price.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - More than six weeks after his connections hoped he would carry their far-fetched
hopes in the 127th Kentucky Derby, Tincin is scheduled to make his return to Churchill Downs.
Tincin, based at Ellis Park, is entered in the fourth race Wednesday, a $50,000 maiden-claiming race at 6 1/2 furlongs.
A Discover colt, Tincin worked at Churchill a week before the Derby, but owner Bill Clements and trainer Steve LaRue withdrew him two days later, ostensibly because of a cough.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Master Stuart will try to remain unbeaten on the year when he moves to the grass for Wednesday's Woodbine headliner, an $80,000 optional claimer at about 1 1/8 miles.
Elkazar, a winner of his only start, heads the supporting feature on the eight-race card, a six-furlong preliminary allowance on the main track.
ELMONT, N.Y. - A stakes win looks like it's in the cards for Stake Runner, who has picked up checks in the two stakes he has run in this year. But for the moment, Richard Dutrow Jr., the leading trainer at the Belmont Park meet, is keeping Stake Runner among allowance runners.
Stake Runner, who hasn't finished worse than third in seven starts, is the one to catch when he meets five others in Wednesday's $47,000 sixth race. The race for 3-year-olds and older horses carries the conditions of nonwinners of three races other-than or four races lifetime.
MIAMI, Fla. - Precious Feather showed she'll be a filly to be reckoned with in next month's $400,000 Princess Rooney Handicap when she overcame a six-month hiatus to register a convincing and very impressive three-length victory over Valid Forbes in Sunday's $52,850 Born Famous Handicap at Calder.
Dynamite Diablo, the 8-5 favorite, finished a tiring sixth.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Anstu Stables' Tugger bolted to the lead from post one and then accelerated in the stretch under jockey Jose Velez Jr. to register a 5 3/4-length victory in the $50,000 Klassy Briefcase Stakes Sunday at Monmouth Park.
Originally carded for the turf, the five-furlong stakes for fillies and mares was contested on a sloppy main track as Tugger, trained by Todd Pletcher, covered the distance in 57.61 seconds before a crowd of 11,919.
Tugger, the 7-5 favorite paid $4.80 to win, and topped an $11.80 exacta over Cedar Knolls. Curious Treasures was third.
Tweedside splashed to a six-length victory in Sunday's $107,800 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont Park.
Originally scheduled for the turf, the Sands Point was switched due to heavy rains and contested on Belmont's muddy main track.
Tweedside was second in the abbreviated four-horse field behind Platinum Tiara before collaring the leader at the quarter pole and pulling away in the stretch.
Owsley rallied to grab second, six lengths ahead of a weary Platinum Tiara, the even-money favorite. Cozzy Corner was fourth.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Missing the Triple Crown may have been a blessing for Until Sundown, who won Sunday's $100,000 Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park.
"If you think you have a horse of that calibre and skip it, you can have a full hand at the end of the year," trainer Laura de Seroux said. "I've thought we had a good horse throughout."
The Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap was Until Sundown's graded stakes debut, coming 4 1/2 months after his career debut. The win put him on course for a test against some of the nation's top 3-year-olds in the $500,000 Swaps Stakes on July 15.