MIAMI - Mico Margarita finally validated the high hopes trainer Steve Asmussen had for him as a 2-year-old when parlaying a perfect trip into an easy 4 1/2-length victory over longshot Red Rocket Express in Saturday’s $150,000 Carry Back Stakes at Calder.  R Free Roll, the odds on favorite at 4-5 - and the lone filly in the Grade 3 stakes for 3-year-olds - finished a tiring fifth after engaging in a suicidal pace duel with Rockyshomerun.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sky Commander, a 24-1 outsider trained by Mark Casse, won Saturday’s $129,800 Charlie Barley Stakes at Woodbine after the disqualification of Golden Sabre.
 
Golden Sabre rallied outside from sixth to get home on top by a half-length in the one-mile turf event, but he drifted in late and interfered with Kid Dreams. Following an inquiry and a jockey’s objection, he was placed behind that rival in fourth. Favored Clearly Now inherited second, and Kid Dreams got third in the 10-horse field of 3-year-olds.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Trainer Tom Proctor swept the first two positions in Friday’s $72,350 Lucie Manet Stakes for fillies and mares with Customer Base and Midnight Music.

Racing at 1 1/4 miles on turf for the first time, Customer Base ($8.60) closed from fourth in a field of six to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Midnight Music, the 8-5 favorite. Miss Pippa was third.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Acting Naughty, who had lost all chance when she reared at the start of the Hendrie Stakes, was on better behavior here Saturday to prevail in the $130,500 Sweet Briar Too at Woodbine.

With Tyler Pizarro in the irons, Acting Naughty made her move while widest around the final turn, dueled through the stretch, and won by the slimmest of noses over the rallying Dixie Strike.

Normally, the only time a Grade  2 stakes winner might show up at Mountaineer Racetrack is on West Virginia Derby Day, which this year is Aug. 3. There is not even a stakes on Tuesday night’s nine-race program, but the entries do contain a filly who four months ago pulled off a 21-1 upset in a Grade 2 stakes in Maryland.

The experiment to race on non-holiday Mondays begins this week at Northlands Park with an eight-race card beginning at 1 p.m. Mountain. Mondays will be part of the racing schedule through Sept. 2.

The main reason Northlands dropped Sundays and added Mondays for the first time is to try and increase its export handle.

“Sundays haven’t been that strong in recent years, and we think we can increase our export numbers by running on Mondays,” said Chris Roberts, venue director at Northlands.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The last time that Emollient left trainer Bill Mott’s spring-summer base in New York, she did not have a successful road journey.

Starting as the 4-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico on May 17, Emollient essentially lost all chance a few strides from the gate.

“She stumbled badly at the start, to the point that she burnt the hide off the front of her ankle,” Mott said on Friday. “She recovered from that, but I don’t think she was comfortable.”

Paris Vegas has raced only once since he trailed throughout in an overnight stakes at Aqueduct last November, beaten more than 44 lengths. But his win at 23-1 in his comeback this spring, even though it occurred more than two months ago, contains clues that he may be ready to move forward off that good performance in Monday’s $50,000 Eight Thirty Stakes at Delaware Park.

The 6-year-old Paris Vegas is part of a nine-horse field of older horses scheduled to go a mile on turf in Monday’s featured eighth race.

ALTOONA, Iowa - Mama's Mad Money, a 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred filly trained by Tim Martin, captured the $72,544 Iowa Stallion Futurity on Saturday evening at Prairie Meadows.

Forcing the early pace under jockey Sasha Risenhoover, Mama's Mad Money ($15), a daughter of the first-crop stallion Save Big Money, pulled away late from her chief rival Bet Your Socks to win by 3 1/4 lengths. Bet Your Socks, part of trainer Chris Richard's 4-5  favored three-horse entry, remained another 3 1/4 lengths clear of Holy Missile in the field of 11.

Trainer Buff Bradley said he is considering the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga as a possible comeback spot for the reigning filly-mare sprint champion, Groupie Doll, after the mare breezed a half-mile Friday at Churchill in 47.20 seconds.

“I’ll probably work her a half-mile again Friday,” said Bradley, adding that the Aug. 23 Ballerina at Saratoga is “only something we’re thinking about. That and the race at Presque Isle,” referring to the Presque Isle Masters on Sept. 9. “We just want her to keep doing as well as she is, and we’ll make that decision at the right time.”