Norman Asbjornson, facing Pennsylvania-breds for the first time since he was a 2-year-old in the fall of 2010, rallied in deep stretch to score by a length over 2-1 second choice Winchill in the $86,750 Roanoke Stakes at Parx Racing.
It was one of five stakes on an 11-race program Saturday devoted exclusively to Pennsylvania-breds.
Cost of Freedom, a 10-year-old Cee’s Tizzy gelding who won the Grade 1 Ancient Title at Santa Anita in 2008, became a millionaire Friday at Golden Gate Fields.
And he reached the milestone in style with a 3 1/4-length win in a 5 1/2-furlong race for $10,000 claimers. He only needed to finish fourth to become a millionaire.
Cost of Freedom grabbed the lead immediately and was never headed, winning in 1:03.70 over even-money favorite Worldly Lad.
The six Illinois-bred stakes races carded for Tuesday at Fairmount Park carry purses of $50,000 each, barely half the money a straight maiden race offered at the recently concluded Saratoga meeting. But this is downstate Illinois, not upstate New York, and the highest-quality racing day of the Fairmount meet does feature a clash of ownership titans.
Her most recent loss came with a ready-made excuse, but if Groupie Doll somehow gets beaten as she defends her title Monday evening in the Presque Isle Downs Masters, well, things might be a little harder to explain.
Trainer Buff Bradley said Saturday at his Churchill Downs base that he certainly hopes to avoid that discomfiting position. Bradley said he has been very satisfied with Groupie Doll as the 2012 female sprint champion prepared to make her second start of the year Monday in the Grade 2, $400,000 Masters for fillies and mares at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Admiral Kitten had his first breeze Saturday since his breakthrough victory in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes and will make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Jamaica on Oct. 5 at Belmont Park, trainer Mike Maker said.
The addition of Lasix and the switch from sprints to routes has turned Peter’s Project into one of the best young horses on the grounds at Finger Lakes this summer.
After losing his career debut and getting disqualified for slamming into another horse with about a quarter-mile remaining in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint, the 3-year-old Peter’s Project has won three races in a row, all routes, by 10 1/4 lengths or more. He looks to extend that streak in Tuesday’s featured eighth race at 1 1/16 miles in a field of allowance runners that includes 2012 New York Derby winner Fox Rules.
As a 3-year-old, Our Edge was talented enough to win a Grade 3 stakes by seven lengths, he led the Grade 1 Travers after a half-mile, and was in front through the first six furlongs of the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby. Those performances all came four years ago, however, and at age 7, Our Edge is just 1 for 12 over the past two seasons.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Riding the River tuned up for the Woodbine Mile here Saturday with a five-furlong breeze under rider Todd Kabel on the main track.
Slated to work in company in a scenario that went awry, Riding the River was given an official time of 1:03, which was disputed by his trainer and co-owner, Dave Cotey.
“His workmate, Honey Come Home, broke off way in front of him,” Cotey said. “He tracked her anyway and caught up to her.”
Honey Come Home also was given a time of 1:03 for the work, which took place during heavy rainfall.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Super Derby favorite Departing was out for some light exercise before dawn Saturday morning at Louisiana Downs. He is expected to start as the odds-on choice in the mile and an eighth race which has an approximate post time of 5:15 p.m. Central.
Departing, the winner of last month’s Grade 2 West Virginia Derby, came onto the track at 6:10 a.m., accompanied by a pony. The horses stood for a brief while before proceeding to jog a mile. Departing came off the track around 6:20.
POMONA, Calif. – Odds-on favorite Ondine became a stakes winner Friday at the Los Angeles County Fair, where she won the $50,000 Beverly J. Lewis Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by a half-length over Warren’s Veneda.
Friday was opening day of the Barretts at Fairplex meet, and form held in 100-degree heat. Favorites won three of the nine races, the pick six was hit to the tune of $16,905.80 for one ticketholder, and Ondine returned $3.60 for trainer Bob Baffert.
