Sat, 06/08/2013 - 16:59

Thistledown: Caviar N Champagne leaves rivals behind in Mackey Memorial

Caviar N Champagne made it look easy drawing off to win the $50,000 Michael G. Mackey Memorial at Thistledown on Saturday.

Trained by Jeff Radosevich and ridden by Scott Spieth, Caviar N Champagne was seventh early in the field of 12 Ohio-bred fillies and mares. Spieth angled the 4-year-old filly five wide into the stretch and she drew off to win by 5 1/4 lengths. The venerable Pay the Man rallied for second, a length and a quarter in front of Startin Something.

Sat, 06/08/2013 - 16:25

Belmont Park: Stephanie's Kitten gets through to victory in Just a Game

Barbara D. Livingston
Stephanie's Kitten (right) outfinishes Better Lucky in the Just a Game after cutting the corner entering the stretch.

ELMONT, N.Y. - John Velazquez knew Stephanie's Kitten was handling the yielding Widener turf course at Belmont Park very well in Saturday's Grade 1 Just A Game Stakes. It was just a matter of whether he would be able to find some running room when the appropriate time came.

With a quarter-mile left to run, the pacesetting Mizdirection drifted out a path or two and Velazquez shot Stephanie's Kitten on through the opening, then outfinished Better Lucky to win the $500,000 Just A Game by a half-length.

Sat, 06/08/2013 - 16:16

Hollywood Park: Tale of a Champion best in Charles Whittingham

Benoit & Associates

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - All that Tale of a Champion needed for success in Southern California was distance.

After running primarily in sprints and one-mile turf races in his first eight months on this circuit, Tale of a Champion won his first graded stakes, and second consecutive race, in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,250 Charles Whittingham Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Sat, 06/08/2013 - 15:29

Belmont Park: Fast Bullet wires True North in comeback; Zayat runners 1-2

Justin N. Lane
Fast Bullet won the True North while making his first start since December.

ELMONT, N.Y. -  Fast Bullet served notice he will be a major force to reckon with in the sprint division this season after returning from a six-month vacation to register an impressive 2 1/2-length decision over entrymate Justin Phillip in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 True North Handicap at Belmont Park.       

Sat, 06/08/2013 - 15:26

Belmont Park: Power Broker bounds home to win Easy Goer

Tom Keyser
Power Broker, with Rosie Napravnik riding, powers home in the Easy Goer.

ELMONT, N.Y. - It has taken Power Broker a long time to get back to the Grade 1 form he displayed as a 2-year-old, but it does indeed appear as though he has found it.

Stalking the pacesetting Always in a Tiz through a decent early pace under Rosie Napravnik, Power Broker took command leaving the three-furlong marker, then bounded home a 3 3/4-length winner of Saturday's $150,000 Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont Park.

[BELMONT STAKES DAY: Video replays and race results]

Sat, 06/08/2013 - 14:35

Finger Lakes: Tequila Hero, French Wine still looking to fulfill potential

Early in their 2-year-old seasons, Tequila Hero and French Wine were talented enough to pick up small chunks of the purse in the richest stakes held at Finger Lakes, the New York Breeders’ Futurity.

The potential they flashed has yet to be fulfilled, but both are still too young to write off. Tequila Hero and French Wine will look to take the next step forward in the second of two allowance races on Tuesday’s card at Finger Lakes, an open company nonwinners-of-three-lifetime race that carries a $23,000 purse and is carded at a mile and 40 yards.

Sat, 06/08/2013 - 14:11

Churchill Downs: Successful Dan among four Stephen Foster prospects working out

Barbara D. Livingston
Successful Dan, who won the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes on Saturday, might run next in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 15.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Successful Dan and Fort Larned have been assigned 121 pounds apiece as the starting highweights for the Stephen Foster Handicap, the Grade 1 race to be run next Saturday night as the annual post-Kentucky Derby highlight of the Churchill Downs spring meet.

Sat, 06/08/2013 - 13:47

Presque Isle Downs: Sum of the Parts seeks year’s first win in Karl Boyes Memorial

Sum of the Parts is winless in two starts this year, but trainer Tom Amoss thinks the $100,000 Karl Boyes Memorial at Presque Isle Downs on Monday will put him in the win column.

“He has been perfect on synthetics, and I am hoping this is what he needs to turn him around,” Amoss said of the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle.

Sum of the Parts is 3 for 3 on synthetic surfaces and 5 for 13 lifetime. He has earned $594,000.

Sat, 06/08/2013 - 12:39

Prairie Meadows: Queen Lilly Kay gets perfect trip to win Hawkeyes Handicap

Jack Coady/Coady Photography
Queen Lilly Kay, with Glenn Corbett up, wins the $75,000 Hawkeyes Handicap.

ALTOONA, Iowa – Queen Lilly Kay sat a perfect trip under jockey Glenn Corbett and forged well clear in the stretch to take Friday night’s $75,000 Hawkeyes Handicap, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for Iowa-bred fillies and mares, by 6 3/4 lengths.

Waiting to pounce a few lengths behind favored Ginger Added and Rudy’s Edge as they dueled through fractions of 23.18 seconds and 47.00, the Kelly Von Hemel-trained Queen Lilly Kay ($8.20) responded when given her cue on the far turn and took over as they entered the stretch.

Sat, 06/08/2013 - 12:26

Hollywood Park notes: More Chocolate targets rebound in Vanity Handicap

Shigeki Kikkawa
More Chocolate won her first stakes in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Maybe a trip to Kentucky with the 4-year-old filly More Chocolate for the La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs last month was not the best idea.

That is the post-race assessment from trainer John Sadler, who is preparing More Chocolate for Saturday’s $250,000 Vanity Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park.

More Chocolate finished fifth in the Grade 2 La Troienne Stakes in her first career start outside of Southern California.

“I probably should have stayed home to begin with,” Sadler said.