Sat, 09/28/2013 - 21:00

Zenyatta Stakes: Beholder makes winning look easy

Benoit & Associates
Beholder, ridden by Gary Stevens, wins the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Beholder won the fourth Grade 1 race of her career in Saturday’s $250,000 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita, giving trainer Richard Mandella an opportunity to issue a subtle challenge to others pointing fillies and mares to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff here on Nov. 2.

“She’s a filly that loves a fight,” he said.

Sat, 09/28/2013 - 19:59

FrontRunner Stakes: Bond Holder wins maiden in Grade 1 race

Benoit & Associates
Bond Holder, with Mario Gutierrez aboard, wins the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Paul Reddam works in the financial world, where he’s familiar with weighing risks and rewards. He decided the risk of running a maiden in the $250,000 FrontRunner Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita was worth it, and he was rewarded with a Grade 1 win.

Sat, 09/28/2013 - 19:21

Rodeo Drive Stakes: Tiz Flirtatious beats Marketing Mix by a head

Benoit & Associates
Tiz Flirtatious (No. 3), under jockey Julien Leparoux, gets her first Grade 1 win in Saturday's Rodeo Drive Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – There seems to be only a head difference between the top California turf mares Tiz Flirtatious and Marketing Mix.

Back in May, Marketing Mix beat Tiz Flirtatious by that margin in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park. And there was a head between the 5-year-old mares in Saturday’s $250,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita, with Tiz Flirtatious winning after a thrilling stretch run.

Sat, 09/28/2013 - 18:53

Chandelier: Secret Compass relishes longer distance

Benoit & Associates
Secret Compass, with Rosie Napravnik aboard, captures the Chandelier for 2-year-old fillies.

ARCADIA, Calif. - A change of scenery and the longest race of her brief career helped Secret Compass score an upset win in Saturday’s $250,500 Chandelier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.

Ridden for the first time by Rosie Napravnik, Secret Compass ($23.40) closed from fourth in a field of seven to catch 2-1 She’s a Tiger in the final strides and win by a head. She’s a Tiger, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Aug. 31, finished three-quarters of a length in front of Fascinating, the 6-5 favorite who remains a maiden after four starts.

Sat, 09/28/2013 - 18:28

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic: Little Mike noses out Big Blue Kitten

Michael Amoruso
Little Mike (No. 7), with Mike Smith aboard, wins the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic by a nose over Big Blue Kitten on Saturday.

ELMONT, N. Y. – Little Mike won three Grade 1 races last year, culminating with the Breeders’ Cup Turf. His worst showing in 2012, by far, came in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational, in which he finished a distant fifth on a deep course he did not like.

Sat, 09/28/2013 - 18:21

Jockey Club Gold Cup: Ron the Greek shows he's still got it

Tom Keyser
Ron the Greek earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic with his victory Saturday in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

ELMONT, N.Y.  - If Bill Mott had his druthers, he would have run Ron the Greek in Saturday’s $400,000 Kelso Invitational going a mile at Belmont Park rather than the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles.

Mott had two-time defending Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Flat Out in the race, and with Ron the Greek having lost his last five starts, Mott thought it might be time to try something different with the 6-year-old son of Full Mandate.

Sat, 09/28/2013 - 18:05

Florida: Parranda takes Our Dear Peggy at Gulfstream Park

Coady Photography
Pachanga Party leads throughout to win the $85,000 Birdonthewire at Calder on Saturday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Parranda, who usually does her best running from mid-pack or beyond, found herself closer than usual to a snail-like pace and made the most of the golden opportunity, drawing off to a 2 1/4-length victory over Millennia in Saturday’s $100,000 Our Dear Peggy Stakes on the turf at Gulfstream Park. Sola Gratia, the even-money favorite, finished fourth after steadying in traffic on the final turn.

Sat, 09/28/2013 - 17:50

Flower Bowl: Slow pace helps Laughing handle distance

Tom Keyser
Laughing (right), ridden by Jose Lezcano, heads a one-two finish for owner Richard Santulli and trainer Alan Goldberg in the Flower Bowl Invitational.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The question regarding Laughing entering Saturday’s Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park was her ability to get the 1 1/4 miles.

Able to get away with a ridiculous soft early pace - she was loose on the lead through six furlongs in 1:16.02 under Jose Lezcano - Laughing had no trouble with the distance, holding off her stablemate Tannery by one-half length to win the $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational. Both horses are owned by Richard Santulli and trained by Alan Goldberg.

Sat, 09/28/2013 - 17:28

Vosburgh: Private Zone by a neck over Justin Phillip

Tom Keyser
Private Zone (right), ridden by Martin Pedroza, beats Justin Phillip by a neck in the Vosburgh Invitational on Saturday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Private Zone, a Canadian-bred who began his career in Panama and set the early pace in the Dubai Golden Shaheen earlier this year, continued his jet-setting ways, winning Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Vosburgh Invitational in stakes-record time off the plane from California.

It didn’t come easily. The Doug O’Neill-trained speedster had to put away Forego winner Strapping Groom down the backstretch and needed to run an opening half-mile in 44.86 seconds to open a clear lead around the turn beneath Martin Pedroza.

Sat, 09/28/2013 - 17:05

Woodbine: Regal Conqueror takes Victorian Queen on front end

Michael Burns
Regal Conqueror takes the Victorian Queen under Eurico Rosa Da Silva.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Regal Conqueror put away the other speed and kept on going to land her stakes debut Saturday at Woodbine in the $125,000 Victorian Queen.

Regal Conqueror ($4.50) dueled with 45-1 shot Seeking a Glitter through moderate fractions in the six-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies. Regal Conqueror opened up a clear lead early in the stretch, and never looked back during a 2 1/2-length tally, in 1:10.51.

Third choice Lexie Lou rallied very wide to beat out second favorite On Rainbow Bridge for second in the seven-horse field.