NEW ORLEANS - It's arguable which will be the more indelible image from Sunday's New Orleans Handicap: The dogfight in the stretch between Peace Rules and Saint Liam, or the brutal run into the first turn that cost much of the field a real chance to win.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Boosted by major stakes wins at this meeting, the veteran Pleasantly Perfect and the upstart Southern Image bring multi-race winning streaks into Saturday's $1 million Santa Anita Handicap.
Pleasantly Perfect, the winner of the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic last October and the San Antonio Handicap on Jan. 31, has been assigned top weight of 123 pounds, spotting seven expected rivals from four to 12 pounds. Owned by Gerald Ford, he has won 7 of 14 starts and $3,009,880.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Smarty Jones won the first three races of his career by a combined 27 lengths, so some observers might have been surprised by his tighter three-quarter length victory in the $100,000 last Saturday at Oaklawn. But much was accomplished in the one-mile race, and his connections are looking forward to his next start, the $200,000 Rebel on March 20.
The Rebel is the first leg of an Oaklawn-sponsored bonus that will pay out $5 million to the horse who wins that race, as well as the $1 million Arkansas Derby and the Kentucky Derby.
ALBANY, Calif. - The late-running sprinter Rollette has always held a magical quality for owners John Bredeson and Greg Geiser.
They claimed the now 8-year-old mare for $16,000 on July 13, 2000 and won the 2001 Richmond Handicap with her.
She made her final start on Feb. 12, running last in a $50,000 optional claimer. But the adventure continues. Rollette is now in Kentucky, where she will be bred to Point Given under a foal-sharing agreement.
She is the first horse Bredeson ever owned and is clearly special to Geiser.
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - The multiple graded stakes winner Island Fashion was a maiden last year at this time before winning the WinStar Sunland Park Oaks, and on Sunday another maiden won a key 3-year-old stakes at Sunland Park when Go Kitty Go upset the $105,450 at odds of 24-1.
Go Kitty Go moved five wide on the far turn under Miguel Fuentes to challenge favored Rocky Gulch and then gradually wore down that rival for his first career win for owners Vernon and Sylvia Hauschild. The winning margin was 1 1/4 lengths on the line.
NEW ORLEANS - Peace Rules is built from equal parts speed and heart. He needed both Sunday to win the Grade 2, $500,000 by a head over Saint Liam, becoming only the third horse to win the Louisiana Derby and New Orleans Handicap, the annual fixtures at this meet.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Very Vegas scored a 16-1 upset in Sunday's $111,350 for 3-year-old fillies, leading throughout to give apprentice jockey Mick Ruis his first stakes win at Santa Anita.
Very Vegas ($35.40) led by as many as 2 1/2 lengths on the hillside portion of race over about 6 1/2 furlongs, but was in front by only a length over the stalking Triple Fantasy at the eighth pole.
