ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Delegation shattered Woodbine's 10-furlong Polytrack record with a decisive victory in the 61st running of the $152,100 Dominion Day Stakes on holiday Monday.
Delegation ($4.50) went right to the front and was hounded by Perfect Afleet through moderate early fractions in the Grade 3 fixture. He assumed command through three-quarters in 1:13.34 and then drew off to score by 9 1/4 lengths over James Street, who edged out Alpha Bettor for second.
AUBURN, Wash. – Ricky Frazier and Noosa Beach, a formidable pair in 2010 when Frazier ran away with the riding title and Noosa Beach won the Longacres Mile, will be honored in retirement ceremonies Wednesday at Emerald Downs. Frazier, who suffered head injuries in a post-parade mishap at Fresno in the fall of 2010, was told by doctors that the risk of further injuries was too great for him to continue. Noosa Beach, an 11-time stakes winner at Emerald, suffered a setback in training that ended his stellar career last month.
Jockey Kirk LeBlanc, who won six races last Wednesday night at Evangeline Downs, will be active during the track’s trial races for the $100,000 fillies division of the D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity.
LeBlanc will be aboard Hymn of Praise in Wednesday night’s sixth race, one of three trials for the 5 1/2-furlong finale July 27. Trials for the $100,000 colts and geldings division of the Young will be run Thursday night at Evangeline.
It appears Allen Milligan has opened up on the field in Lone Star Park trainers race with a six-win advantage heading into the final week of the meet Wednesday night. But the 46-year-old horseman is taking nothing for granted. Milligan has 11 horses entered in eight races Wednesday in a move that could help him pad his lead as he seeks to nail down his first Texas title.
“I’m not going to settle until it’s over and out of their reach,” Milligan said of closest pursuers Justin Evans, Karl Broberg, and Steve Asmussen.
After a trio of $100,000 New York-bred stakes on Sunday, the next-to-last week of the Belmont Park meet begins Wednesday with another $100,000 statebred race, the Princess Dixie for fillies and mares.
The Princess Dixie is race 8 on a 10-race program and drew a field of eight, including the entry of Carameaway and Dreaming of Cara for trainer Mitch Friedman, who also entered the just-claimed Read the Research.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Mark Casse is the runaway leader in the trainer standings at Woodbine this year, and his seemingly endless supply of quality horses make him an odds-on favorite to record his seventh straight title.
But Casse’s campaign would be much more complete if he could make the breakthrough in the Queen’s Plate, a race in which he has sent out a total of 13 starters in five runnings, with his best finish a second by longshot Hippolytus in 2011.
“I’m beginning to feel like Todd Pletcher when he was 0 for 24 in the Kentucky Derby,” Casse said.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. – A pair of $50,000 statebred turf stakes are on tap to begin the holiday week on a special Wednesday evening card at Canterbury Park.
The 1 1/16-mile Princess Elaine Stakes has two trainers each sending out a pair of contenders. Mac Robertson trainee Grace of Greatness, the 7-2 morning-line favorite, was the third-place finisher last year and will look to improve upon that with her late-running style. Stablemate Morgans a Blumin will be trying to bounce back after only six days off a hard-charging fourth-place finish in $12,500 claiming race.
Beau Diablo will be gunning for his fourth win in a row when he runs in a $20,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds that will serve as Wednesday’s feature at Northlands Park. Standing directly in his way in the six-furlong sprint is Tony the Tank, who is running for a tag for the first time in his seven-race career.
Five horses are entered and the feature goes as the second race. Post time for the first of eight races is 6 p.m. Mountain.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After a back-and-forth duel over the last few days, Mike Maker salvaged a tie for leading trainer with Steve Asmussen at the Churchill Downs spring meet by sending out the winner of the last race on the closing-day card Sunday.
Buzzin at Midnight was an easy odds-on winner of the meet finale when ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, the leading jockey at the 38-day meet with 53 wins. Buzzin at Midnight was the 32nd winner of the meet for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who three days earlier broke the record (27) for most wins at a Churchill meet.
Mystic City sat behind the dueling leaders in the $100,000 Windward Stakes until upper stretch and then exploded to a 1 1/4-length win, capturing the event for the second straight year Sunday evening at Presque Isle Downs.
Ridden by Pedro Rodriguez for trainer Mike Ferraro, Mystic City was moved three wide to take the lead in upper stretch and then was all out to hold sway late.
Hooh Why finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of Let's Get Married in third. Just more than 2 3/4 lengths separated the first five finishers.
