ARCADIA, Calif. - An outside post was seen as a hindrance to Sweet Return's chances in Saturday's $350,000 at Santa Anita. It turned out to be an ideal draw for a stalking trip that led to Sweet Return's third consecutive graded stakes win.
Benefiting from a patient ride from Gary Stevens, Sweet Return rallied from seventh in a 14-horse field to win the Grade 2 Kilroe by a half-length over Singletary. Sweet Return ($21.60) finished a mile on turf in 1:33.87.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Southern Image displayed his speed when he won the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes over seven furlongs on Dec. 26. A month later, he showed his brilliance and class with a three-length win in the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic.
In Saturday's $1 million , he needed both to overcome a pressured trip and score the most important win of his career.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Imperialism is finding racing in California much easier than Florida.
Scoring his second consecutive stakes win, Imperialism ran down the heavily favored Lion Heart to win Saturday's $200,000 at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Imperialism ($16.80) rallied from last to win by a neck, finishing a mile in 1:36.11.
NEW ORLEANS - Cornelio Velasquez is a native of Panama, and as his star has risen in the universe of big-time jockeys, so has his command of the English language improved. This phrase Velasquez has down pat: "I thought at the top of the stretch she would win easy."
That is how Mr. Velasquez described Ashado's run Saturday in the $300,000 , and that is exactly how Ashado performed. Velasquez, sitting on a powder keg all the way around the track, found a spot for Ashado three paths wide at the top of the stretch, and Ashado cruised to a 3 3/4-length score over Victory U. S. A.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Mt. Vista will head a competitive field of five older horses in Monday's best race at Portland Meadows, a one-mile claiming race for $8,000.
The feature has been named the Rod Gibson Memorial, in honor of the young trainer who passed away Feb. 17. Gibson and his father, H.R., trained former Washington-bred horse of the year L.J. Express.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The way things are shaping up, the best race on Florida Derby day may be the Grade 3 Swale.
With Master David now out, Read the Footnotes figures to be an odds-on favorite in the $1 million Florida Derby. As of Saturday, only six horses were listed as definite for the Grade 1 race.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Todd Pletcher says he believes Lion Tamer will eventually be a horse who could be successful around two turns. For now, however, Pletcher does not plan to mess with a good thing.
Lion Tamer remained perfect (3 for 3) at seven furlongs, with a solid three-quarter-length victory over the game Coach Jimi Lee in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 at Gulfstream Park. It was another half-length back to longshot Wacky for Love in third.
Gygistar, Valid Video, True Direction, and Multiple Choice completed the order of finish.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Almost everybody expected Last Song and Society Selection to battle it out for the winner's share of Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 at Gulfstream Park. What the majority of them didn't expect, though, was for Last Song to emerge a clear-cut, two-length winner over Society Selection, the 1-2 favorite.
When they met four weeks ago in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes, Society Selection finished third, a neck in front of Last Song. Society Selection received a two-pound weight shift in her favor for Saturday's rematch.
ALBANY, Calif. - House of Fortune ($2.40) was unchallenged in the stretch, winning the $77,025 California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields by 17 lengths on Saturday.
A 3-year-old filly, House of Fortune faced three overmatched rivals in the 1 1/16-mile race. Although never asked to run, she clocked a final time of 1:41.71.
"It was like a glorified workout," winning jockey Ron Warren Jr. said. "I was shocked at how fast she ran. It didn't seem like she was even running."
