Sun, 09/15/2013 - 10:00

Canterbury Park closes meet with gains in attendance, field size, handle

SHAKOPEE, Minn. – In the first full year of the joint marketing agreement with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, which contributes $75 million to the Canterbury Park purse account over 10 years, the track’s 2013 season closed with the largest average field size in a decade, and attendance and handle records were set at the 69-day meet that closed Saturday.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 20:47

Barretts at Fairplex: City by the Bay much the best in Barretts Debutante

POMONA, Calif. – City by the Bay trounced nine rivals Saturday in the $100,000 Barretts Debutante at the Los Angeles County Fair, winning the 6 1/2 furlong race by 8 3/4 lengths.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez and trained by Bill Morey, City by the Bay ($4.60) was making only her second career start following a dominant maiden win at Santa Rosa. Morey deferred credit.

“I’m just a spectator, it’s the filly,” Morey said. “I’m the lucky guy that gets to watch her go.”

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 19:27

Belmont Park: Alterite impresses in Garden City Stakes

Tom Keyser
Alterite, ridden by John Velazquez, wins the Grade 1 Garden City Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths Saturday at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – A difficult day turned around in a hurry for trainer Chad Brown when Alterite, making her North American debut, scored a visually impressive 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Garden City Stakes at Belmont Park.

Receiving only a hand ride from John Velazquez, Alterite easily went by the pacesetting Discreet Marq inside the eighth pole and cruised to a comfortable victory in her first start for Brown.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 19:21

Arlington: I'm Already Sexy stays sharp by taking Pucker Up

Four-Footed Fotos
I'm Already Sexy, ridden by Florent Geroux, scores by 3 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Pucker Up.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – I’m Already Sexy made her first graded-stakes start in the Pucker Up on Saturday at Arlington. Suffice it to say she was well spotted. I’m Already Sexy, the even-money favorite, went straight to the lead under Florent Geroux and made short work of her seven rivals, scoring a 3 3/4-length victory over Every Way in the Grade 3, $175,000 Pucker Up.

I’m Already Sexy paid just $4.20 on the strength of a blowout victory here in a division of the Aug. 17 Hatoof Stakes, and Geroux said she was an even stronger filly in the Pucker Up.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 19:14

Kentucky Downs: Temeraine by a neck in Kentucky Turf Cup

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens continued his successful return to the saddle Saturday when riding Temeraine to victory in the Grade 3, $399,000 Kentucky Turf Cup, the annual marquee race at Kentucky Downs.

Nudged by Stevens into early contention, Temeraine found himself among the pace chasers in the 1 1/2-mile Turf Cup, which anchored the new Kentucky Downs Million Day as the last of five straight Saturday stakes.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 19:01

Kentucky Downs: Coalport gives Ramseys third stakes win on card in Franklin-Simpson Mile

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Four weeks after Coalport defeated Trend by a head in an allowance race on the Arlington Million undercard, barely anything had changed when the two met again Saturday in the $123,917 Franklin-Simpson Mile at Kentucky Downs.

This time, the result was Coalport by a mere nose, with Trend another neck ahead of Utley in a thrilling three-horse finish. Coalport returned $6 as favorite in a field of eight when giving Ken and Sarah Ramsey their third stakes win on the Kentucky Downs card.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 18:52

Belmont Park: Peace Preserver rallies to take Noble Damsel

Barbara D. Livingston
Peace Preserver, under Irad Ortiz Jr., wins the Noble Damsel Stakes by a half-length Saturday at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – To listen to her connections tell it, Peace Preserver had a rough summer. But it wasn’t anything a return to her favorite surface couldn’t cure.

Splitting horses in deep stretch under Irad Ortiz Jr. after rallying from last, Peace Preserver outkicked Hungry Island to the wire to win Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel Stakes by a half-length at Belmont Park. Hungry Island finished second by three-quarters of a length over Better Lucky, the 4-5 favorite. Assateague, Naples Bay, and Laugh Out Loud completed the order of finish.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 18:30

Parx: Swift Warrior connects as favorite in PTHA President's Cup

Barbara Weidl/Equiphoto
Swift Warrior, despite clipping heels on the first turn, scores under Jose Ortiz in the PTHA President's Cup.

Swift Warrior regained the form that enabled him to win back-to-back Grade 3 events early this season when he recovered from a potential early disaster to post a victory in Saturday’s $250,000 Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President’s Cup at Parx Racing.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 18:13

Calder: Best Plan Yet takes advantage in Foolish Pleasure

Coady Photography
Best Plan Yet wins the Foolish Pleasure Stakes under Jeffrey Sanchez.

Best Plan Yet ducked his nemesis My Brown Eyed Guy and made the most of the opportunity when rallying from last to a popular one-length victory over Union Cash in Saturday’s $85,000 Foolish Pleasure Stakes for 2-year-olds at Calder.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 18:13

Woodbine: My Conquestadory beats males in Summer Stakes

Michael Burns
My Conquestadory, making her career debut for trainer Mark Casse, wins the Summer Stakes under jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva on Saturday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – First-timer starter My Conquestadory punched her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with a decisive score over males in the Grade 2, $212,800 Summer Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.

My Conquestadory ($12.90) raced in fourth through the turn in the one-mile turf route, as Tropic of Artie set a lively pace while being pressed by Asserting Bear.