OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Circling five wide turning for home, the lightly regarded Swagger Jack ($33.60) unleashed a sustained run through the stretch to win Saturday’s 113th running of the $400,000 Carter Handicap.
Away slowest in the field of six, Swagger Jack raced in next-to-last position down the backstretch, as 26-1 outsider Consortium carved out early fractions of 22.17 and 44.63 seconds under pressure from Fort Loudon, Brigand and even-money favorite Discreet Dancer.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Hooh Why, a 7-year-old mare making one of the last starts of her million-dollar career, rallied outside to be up in the final strides to defend her title in the Distaff Turf on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.
The race was one of six stakes, worth $75,000 apiece, for Florida-breds on a 12-race Florida Cup Day program.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
