FRANKLIN, Ky. – Dancing to Town, seventh in the Windward Stakes last out at Presque Isle Downs on the Tapeta synthetic surface June 30, reversed her form with a switch back to grass in Saturday’s $150,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf.
As is her custom, Dancing to Town showed immediate speed, and without any significant early pressure to challenge her, she withstood a rally from Lily the Pink to win by a length.
Nashindy finished third, 2 3/4 lengths farther back, with Dame Marie fourth.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Departing won the third derby of his career on Saturday at Louisiana Downs, when he cruised to a four-length win over Ruler of Love in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby. He won the 1 1/8-mile race in hand, one start after taking the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby, and three starts removed from his win in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby.
The Super Derby was the richest race on a card of six stakes worth a cumulative $950,000.
BOSSIER CITY, La. – Jockey Chris Landeros got his 1,000th career victory when Major Marvel dug down deep to hold off String King by a neck in the $100,000 Unbridled Stakes at Louisiana Downs on Saturday. It was the fifth straight win for Major Marvel, who is owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trained by Mike Maker.
Landeros rode his first career winner Jan. 18, 2006, at Turf Paradise. He shipped into Louisiana Downs from Remington Park to ride Major Marvel and was thrilled that the milestone win came in the Unbridled.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Solitary Ranger went for farm rest and recuperation this spring still a maiden, but when trainer Wayne Catalano began readying the colt for a second-half campaign, Catalano pointed for the Arlington-Washington Futurity rather than a race for nonwinners. And why not: Catalano won the 2010 Futurity with the maiden Major Gain, and he won it again Saturday when Solitary Ranger beat off a moderate challenge from Whyruawesome to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity by 5 1/2 lengths.
FRANKLIN, Ky. – Longtime Southern California rider David Flores shifted his tack to Kentucky this fall, in large part because of the lucrative purses at Kentucky Downs.
On Saturday, opening day at Kentucky Downs, it immediately paid off, with the veteran jockey winning two of the first seven races at the all-turf track, including the $130,937 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint on To My Valentine.
To My Valentine, a 3-year-old filly by Dyhim Diamond who raced in France as a juvenile last year, used her speed to prove victorious in the Ladies Sprint.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Different venue, same results for Ken and Sarah Ramsey and Javier Castellano.
After the Ramseys set a single-meet record for wins (22) by an owner at a Saratoga meet, their red and white colors were in the Belmont Park winner’s circle on Saturday’s opening-day program as Hyper held off Finnegans Wake in the stretch to win the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Handicap by a half-length. It was two lengths back to Boisterous, the 3-5 favorite, in third.
BOSSIER CITY, La. – Grandma’s Rules pulled clear for a 2 1/2-length win over Queenie Vic in the $100,000 River Cities Stakes on Saturday at Louisiana Downs. It was another length back to Miss Addison in third.
Grandma’s Rules ($9.20) tracked Queenie Vic through six furlongs in 1:11.78 in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares. In the stretch, she worked to get past the leader through a mile in 1:35.67. Grandma’s Rules then shuttled clear late while covering the distance in 1:42.06.
A change of tactics by new rider Rajiv Maragh helped Are You Kidding Me win for the first time in more than a year Saturday at Delaware Park.
Unlike two of his last three starts, in which Are You Kidding Me was placed far back, Maragh sent the 3-year-old Woodbine-based colt to the front through slow early fractions of 25.20 and 48.69 seconds in the Grade 3, $200,000 Kent Stakes. Going slow early left Are You Kidding Me ($4.80) with plenty of energy for the stretch drive and he drew clear to win easily by four lengths while just missing the turf course record for 1 1/8 miles.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Longshot Professor’s Ride held off favored Strut the Course to notch her first stakes victory Saturday at Woodbine in the $125,000 La Prevoyante.
Professor’s Ride ($32.70) stalked the leader Silent Love in the one-mile turf route for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies. Professor’s Ride hit the front early in the stretch and got home on by top a neck in 1:39.36 over the yielding turf. Primordia wound up third in a field reduced to eight with the scratch of Silent Star.
BOSSIER CITY, La. – Got Shades put himself under consideration for either the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf or the BC Juvenile by winning his second straight stakes race in the $100,000 Sunday Silence at Louisiana Downs on Saturday.
The Sunday Silence, for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf, was the first of six stakes on a card featuring the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby.
