Sat, 04/06/2013 - 18:09

Aqueduct: Declan’s Warrior’s late run takes Bay Shore

Barbara D. Livingston
Declan's Warrior (5), with Jose Lezcano riding, gets up for the victory in the Bay Shore.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - When Jose Lezcano came to the paddock before Saturday’s Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct, he expressed some concern to trainer Nick Zito that the track may not be kind to Declan’s Warrior’s late-running style.

Undeterred, Zito told Lezcano to ride him the way he had ridden him previously - sit back and make a run.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 18:06

Keeneland: Emollient dominates Ashland on one week of rest

Coady Photography/Keeneland
Emollient wins the Ashland by nine easy lengths under jockey Mike Smith.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Giving Juddmonte Farms and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott their second contender for the 139th Kentucky Oaks in less than a one-hour span, Emollient turned in one of the most one-sided performances in the history of the Ashland Stakes when blowing away the opposition Saturday in the 76th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 race at Keeneland.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 17:49

Santa Anita Oaks goes to Beholder

Benoit & Associates
Beholder, with Garrett Gomez riding, goes wire to wire in the Santa Anita Oaks.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Beholder was allowed to set the pace in Saturday’s $300,250 Santa Anita Oaks, a strategy that worked spectacularly and has made the 2-year-old champion filly of 2012 unbeatable around two turns in her career.

Leading by as much as two lengths in the first six furlongs, Beholder ($2.60) was hand-ridden through the stretch of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks, winning by 2 3/4 lengths over the former maiden claimer Iotapa.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Beholder ran 1 1-16 miles in 1:43.16, winning the third stakes of her career.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 17:26

Aqueduct: Close Hatches wins Gazelle battle with Princess of Sylmar

Tom Keyser
Close Hatches and jockey Joel Rosario pull away from Princess of Sylmar in the Gazelle.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Close Hatches remained perfect from three starts and thrust herself into prominence as she brought Princess of Sylmar’s four-race win to a halt in Saturday’s $250,000 Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct.

Coming off maiden and first-level allowance wins at Gulfstream Park for Juddmonte Farms and Bill Mott, Close Hatches was hustled to the front by Joel Rosario soon after the start, and established the pace in the two-path while flanked by Walkwithapurpose on the rail and Princess of Sylmar on the outside.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 17:09

Beulah Park: Hamm runners go 1-2 in Royal North

The Tim Hamm-trained entry of Significant Bling and Blazing Bling finished a half-length apart in front of the competition in the $50,000 Royal North for Ohio bred 3-year-old fillies at Beulah Park Saturday.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 16:58

Pimlico: Ben's Cat cruises to fourth straight Mister Diz victory

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Ben's Cat, hand ridden to the wire by Julian Pimental, captures the Mister Dizr for Maryland-breds for the fourth straight year.

The Mister Diz Stakes is named in honor of the horse who was chosen Maryland-bred champion four consecutive years, 1968-1971. So it was fitting that Ben’s Cat became a four-time winner of the $75,000 Mister Diz at Pimlico on Saturday afternoon.

Launching his 7-year-old campaign against a field of five Maryland-breds in the state’s first turf race of the season, Ben’s Cat ($2.80) took command at the eighth pole and easily drew clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths while completing five furlongs on a firm course in 57.74 seconds.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 16:18

Aqueduct: Dominguez says brain injury is worse than he had thought

Barbara D. Livingston
Ramon Dominguez, injured in a January spill at Aqueduct, will need longer to recover than he had hoped.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Jockey Ramon Dominguez said Saturday that the brain injury he suffered in a spill at Aqueduct in January was more severe than he first thought, and while he continues to make progress his return to the saddle is still several months away.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 15:48

Aqueduct: Withgreatpleasure upsets Ruffian

Tom Keyser
Withgreatpleasure, with John Velazquez riding, pays $30.60 winning the Ruffian.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer David Nunn said he had no intention of running Withgreatpleasure in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian Handicap at Aqueduct.

But a sharp workout earlier in the week and with the race shaping up, in Nunn’s words, “a soft Grade 2” he changed his mind.

Nunn was rewarded for the change of heart when Johnny Velazquez shot Withgreatpleasure through a gaping hole along the inside at the five-sixteenths pole, and she outlasted 4-5 favorite My Wandy’s Girl to the wire to win the Ruffian by three-quarters of a length.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 15:20

Oaklawn: Apple Blossom trio of candidates breeze

Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography
Tiz Miz Sue hasn't raced since finishing fifth in the Spinster at Keeneland last October, but earlier in the year she won the Grade 3 Azeri at Oaklawn (above).

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Tiz Miz Sue, Don’t Tell Sophia, and On Fire Baby all worked within minutes of each other Saturday at Oaklawn in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap. The 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares will be run Friday as part of the weeklong Racing Festival of the South.

Tiz Miz Sue, winner of last month’s Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri under regular rider Joe Rocco Jr., went a half-mile in an effortless 50.60 seconds on a fast track, with clockers catching her final quarter-mile in 22.80 seconds.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 14:57

Keeneland: Blue Grass workers out in force

Coady Photography/Keeneland
Palm Beach Stakes winner Rydilluc was one of four horses to work at Keeneland on Saturday morning for the Blue Grass.

No fewer than a half-dozen workouts were recorded at several Kentucky venues Saturday as final serious preparations were made for the annual marquee race at Keeneland, the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes.