ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – A filly named Dank ran the race of her life Saturday in blowing away her rivals Saturday in the 24th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Beverly D. at Arlington Park.
Ridden by Ryan Moore for the legendary British trainer Michael Stoute, Dank remained several lengths off the pace before unleashing a breathtaking stretch run, winning by 4 1/4 lengths over another European filly, Gifted Girl. She returned $8.40 as second choice.
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Hard Enough earned a hard-fought victory on Saturday in the $62,400 Restoration Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf at Monmouth Park.
It was the second straight stakes victory here for the chestnut colt following the Jersey Derby last month. The Restoration was the fourth win on the card for Paco Lopez, the meet’s leading rider.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Joe Bravo had supreme confidence in Big Blue Kitten coming into Saturday’s $600,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga and trainer Chad Brown was equally as confident his rider could work out a trip that would find the entire team posing in the winner’s circle at the conclusion of the Grade 1 turf fixture.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The Kittens just keep on coming.
Minutes after Big Blue Kitten won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga, Admiral Kitten captured the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington. Ken Ramsey, who bred both horses and owns them with his wife, Sarah, said he wanted to show off his stallion Kitten’s Joy – the source of all those Kitten names – this weekend.
Rapid-fire Grade1 victories should do the trick.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - At a track nicknamed the “Graveyard of Champions,” one may have been crowned Saturday.
With a four-wide sweep to the lead approaching the quarter pole, Princess of Sylmar galloped through the Saratoga stretch to a 2 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes. Fiftyshadesofhay, part of the early pace, was second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Carnival Court. Galloping Giraffe and Montana Native completed the order of finish.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – I’m Already Sexy had no luck when she finished a troubled fifth two weeks ago in a stakes race at Canterbury Park. She needed none Saturday at Arlington, romping to victory in the $81,050 first division of the Hatoof Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Refusing to be denied despite encountering trouble in spots, Dandino was along in time to prevail as an odds-on choice Saturday in the second running of the $400,000 American St. Leger, the first of four straight major stakes on the Arlington Million program at Arlington Park.
Ryan Moore was aboard Dandino, who returned $3.60 with his half-length score over Suntracer, a locally based runner who had another three-quarters of a length on the wire on another local, Najjaar.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Eleven years after recording his last win as a rider at Saratoga, Robbie Davis recorded his first win as a trainer at the Spa when Sandyinthesun ($49.20) nosed out fellow 23-1 shot Lure of the South in Saturday’s 8th race.
My Pal Chrisy surpassed the $500,000 mark in career earnings Saturday at Gulfstream Park, when she closed from last to win the $113,000 Paseana by 6 3/4 lengths. Isabelle’s Thunder rallied for second in the six-furlong race for fillies and mares, while it was another head back in third to pacesetter Capitalism At Risk.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Leigh Court ($12) led all the way to notch her turf debut Saturday at Woodbine in the Grade 3, $150,700 Ontario Colleen Stakes.
With Gary Boulanger aboard, Leigh Court set fractions of 23.75 and 46.70 seconds in the one-mile turf route for 3-year-old fillies. Overheard, the 4-1 second choice, mounted a wide rally from mid-pack at the head of the stretch, but her bid fell three-quarters of a length short of Leigh Court, who completed the distance in 1:33.32 over firm ground.
