Sat, 06/01/2013 - 19:59

Penn National: Easter Gift takes Mountainview Handicap to reaffirm fondness for Pennsylvania tracks

Barbara D. Livingston
Easter Gift, ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, scoresby 2 1/4 lengths in the Mountainview Handicap.

Good things happen for Easter Gift when he travels to Pennsylvania.

The first stakes wins of the 4-year-old Easter Gift’s career came when he shipped to Parx and won the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes last September, and on Saturday evening, a trip to Penn National produced a 2 1/4-length victory in the $250,000 Mountainview Handicap.

Easter Gift, owned by Robert LaPenta and trained for his last four starts by Chad Brown, won his third straight race. The second win in that string – no surprise – came in another excursion to Parx.

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 19:34

Arlington: Fear the Kitten fails, but Bold Kitten connects at 10-1

Four-Footed Fotos
Reigning Catfish, winless in five starts on dirt, pulls a $64.60 surprise under Seth Martinez switching to Polytrack for the Springfield Stakes.

Odds-on favorite Fear the Kitten went down to defeat in the Springfield Stakes, but 10-1 chance Bold Kitten scratched out a win in the Purple Violet Stakes on Saturday at Arlington.

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 19:15

Louisiana Downs: Look At the Time prevails in John Franks Memorial

Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges Jr.
Look At the Time holds off String King to win the John Franks Memorial at Louisiana Downs.

Look At the Time overtook 1-5 favorite String King nearing the wire to win the fourth stakes race of his career Saturday in the $50,000 John Franks Memorial at Louisiana Downs. The race was one of two one-mile turf stakes for Louisiana-breds on the card. Drinking Fund closed fast to win the $50,000 Honeymoon.

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 18:59

Penn National: Pennsylvania Governor's Cup becomes rout for ex-claimer Tightend Touchdown

Tom Keyser
Tightend Touchdown, with Javier Castellano aboard, misses the five-furlong turf course record at Penn National by .01 of a second with his time of 54.62 seconds.

Trainer Jason Servis and Ron Lombardi of Mountain Lakes, N.J., who operates as Mr. Amore Stable, clearly regretted losing Tightend Touchdown when he was claimed for $30,000 last December. So they prompted re-claimed him for $35,000 a month later.

Tightend Touchdown delivered huge dividends on that modest investment when he scored a front-running victory in the $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Handicap at Penn National on Saturday.

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 18:50

Monmouth Park: Hop Skip and Away, Pierce whip youngsters in John J. Reilly

Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Pedro Cotto Jr. guides 8-year-old Hop Skip and Away to a wire-to-wire victory in the John J. Reilly for 85-year-old owner-trainer Joe Pierce Jr.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Hop Skip and Away won the $61,800 John J. Reilly Handicap on Saturday in a triumph for two of Monmouth Park’s grand old men.

The 8-year-old gelding, the oldest member of the seven-horse field of New Jersey-breds, finally won the Reilly on his fourth try. He hit the board in each of the last three editions.

It was also rewarding moment for trainer and co-owner Joe Pierce Jr. At 85 years young, Pierce is the senior trainer on the Monmouth backstretch.

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 18:19

Belmont Park: King Kreesa sets comfortable pace, powers home in Kingston Stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
King Kreesa scores a front-running, 2 1/4-length victory in the $125,000 Kingston Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The old racing adage pace makes the race was clearly evident in Saturday’s $125,000 Kingston Stakes at Belmont Park as the front-running King Kreesa was able to get away with comfortable early fractions on his way to a 2 1/4-length victory in the race for New York-breds on the turf.

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 17:53

Pimlico: Cerro outbattles Dynamic Strike in Canonero II

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Cerro (2), ridden by Alan Garcia, narrowly prevails over Dynamic Strike and Forest Boyce in the Canonero II for 3-year-olds.

Rick Mettee, newly appointed trainer for Team Valor International, admitted he wasn’t sure whether putting blinkers on Cerro was the right move to make with the 3-year-old colt.

After watching the stretch run of Saturday’s $75,000 Canonero II Stakes for 3-year-olds at Pimlico, in which Cerro and Alan Garcia won a head bob over Dynamic Strike and Forest Boyce, Mettee knew the new equipment played a positive factor.

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 17:37

Belmont Park: Readtheprospectus and Alvarado team up to win Commentator

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Readtheprospectus wins the Commentator, giving Junior Alvarado his third stakes win Saturday.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Readtheprospectus gave jockey Junior Alvarado his third stakes win on Saturday’s New York Showcase program at Belmont, with a 1 1/4-length victory over the late-running So Scott in the $150,000 Commentator Stakes. The win was also the second on the card for trainer Chad Brown, who earlier captured the Mount Vernon with Shakeira.

Alvarado’s previous winners on Saturday came aboard Saginaw in the Affirmed Success and Amberjack in the Mike Lee.

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 17:14

Belmont: Clear Pasaj uses uncontested lead to capture Dancin Renee Handicap

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Clear Pasaj, under Jose Ortiz, holds off Lady On the Run by a head in the Dancin Renee for New York-bred fillies and mares.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Though he believes Clear Pasaj can rate if need be, trainer Bruce Levine felt in order to win Saturday’s $100,000 Dancin Renee Handicap at Belmont Park it would be on the front end.

 “I was kind of hell bent on the lead today, to be honest,” Levine said.

Sat, 06/01/2013 - 17:02

Woodbine: Delightful Mary fires off long layoff in Hendrie

Michael Burns
With Luis Contreras aboard, Delightful Mary wins the Grade 3 Hendrie in her return from a 15-month layoff.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Delightful Mary, Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly in 2010, prevailed in her return from a 15-month layoff Saturday at Woodbine in the Grade 3, $150,000 Hendrie Stakes.

Man Stuff set rapid fractions with the wind at her back in the six and a half furlong sprint, as Delightful Mary bided her time near the back of the eight-horse field. Heavenly Pride, a 15-1 shot, hit the front in midstretch, but a wide Delightful Mary swept by her late to win by a length in 1:15.54. She paid $4.30.