SANTA ROSA, Calif. – The third time was the charm for Ain't No Other ($7) and just another disappointment for Starboardlights in the $66,350 Jess Jackson Owners’ Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair on Saturday.
Ain't No Other, co-favored with Ourwestcoastghost, won the five-furlong turf stakes in a course-record time of 56.47 seconds, defeating Starboardlights by a neck. The clocking beat Sweet Kendall Jo's old record of 56.76 set in 2006.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Go Go is back.
Jockey Garrett Gomez won the $151,000 La Jolla Handicap aboard Dice Flavor at Del Mar on Saturday, making a triumphant return to racing after undergoing treatment for alcoholism in late July.
Dice Flavor was Gomez’s second mount Saturday. He had not ridden since the closing day of the spring-summer meeting at Betfair Hollywood Park on July 14. Gomez was booked to ride July 17, Del Mar’s opening day, but took off his mounts that week while undergoing counseling.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Li’l Apollo’s sustained run from last place to the lead in the $75,000 Minnesota Derby for 3-year old Minnesota-bred males gave trainer Randy Pfeifer his first career stakes win and made the Shakopee oval feel a bit more like home.
“I’ve been doing this for 10, 15 years, and I spend one-third of my year here,” Pfeifer said. “I really like it here, and now it feels like home to me.”
OCEANPORT, N.J. - Seaneen Girl pulled away to a six-length win over Mr Hall’s Opus on Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Monmouth Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.
Paco Lopez was aboard for his fourth win of the day as Seaneen Girl picked up her second graded win, having captured Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs last November.
Seaneen Girl had several advantages heading into the Monmouth Oaks. For starters, she had a wealth of experience. This was her 13th start, easily the tops in the field, and it produced the third victory for the filly, trained by Bernie Flint.
HENDERSON, Ky. – Devious Intent posted her first career stakes victory Saturday in the 32nd running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Gardenia Stakes, although the far bigger story was about the champion who failed to get her seventh stakes score.
Groupie Doll was the 1-5 favorite in a field of nine fillies and mares in the Gardenia, the annual signature race at Ellis Park, but could do no better than third in her first start in 8 1/2 months.
Millennia dug in for a half-length win over stablemate Sola Gratia in the $100,000 Ta Wee Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third to Miss Addison. David Fawkes trains both Millennia and Sola Gratia.
The Ta Wee, a 1 1/16-mile race run on firm turf, was restricted to fillies and mares bred in Florida.
Millennia ($26) raced several lengths off the early pace, as She’s Spooky and the favored Awesome Belle vied for the lead through fractions of 24.35 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.51 for the half-mile, and 1:12.31 for six furlongs.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Jeremiah Englehart stood out on the racetrack and applauded Wise Dan as he was brought back to the winner’s circle following Saturday’s $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga.
It was a classy gesture of respect, especially considering that it was his horse, King Kreesa, whom the reigning Horse of the Year had just beaten by 1 1/4 lengths to successfully defend his title in the Grade 2 Fourstardave.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jockey Joe Rocco’s summer of fun continued at Saratoga on Saturday, as he guided the favored Summer of Fun to a 1 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Auntie Mame Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf.
Effie Trinket, who set the pace under Joel Rosario, held second by a neck over Joy.
The win was the third of the day, the ninth of the meet, and the third stakes success for Rocco, who is riding full time at Saratoga for the first time.
“Ecstatic, great day,” Rocco said.
STANTON, Del. - Finding room along the rail a furlong out, Service for Ten came off a five-month layoff in winning form to capture the $50,000 Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Handicap by 2 1/2 lengths in near-track-record time Saturday at Delaware Park.
