Well Fancied led every step of the way to win Monday's $200,000 General George Handicap at Laurel Park by a length over Unforgettable Max. Badge of Silver, the 3-5 favorite, finished fifth in the nine-horse field.
Well Fancied capped a big weekend for New York-breds by winning the Grade 2 General George. On Saturday at Gulfstream Park, New York-bred Read the Footnotes won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Austin's Mom proved that her upset win in last month's Grade 3 Affectionately was no fluke when she posted a 1 3/4-length win over U K Trick in the $81,600 Rare Treat Handicap at Aqueduct on Monday before a holiday crowd of 5,049.
In the ungraded Rare Treat, Austin's Mom was the 4-5 favorite among the field of seven fillies and mares. She returned $25 after winning the Affectionately by 5 1/2 lengths on Jan. 17.
Turn to Lass, who won a six-furlong allowance race eight days ago, led throughout to win the $50,000 Martha Washington at its new one-mile distance Monday at Oaklawn Park. Attendance for the holiday program was a meet-high 30,136.
All Electric finished three-quarters of a length back in second, with Yoursmineandours another 2 1/4 lengths back in third. Saltwater Runner, the favorite, had one horse beaten on the first turn and rallied for sixth in the field of 11.
SUNLAND PARK, N. M. - Speedy Falcon displayed a new dimension by stalking the front-runners into the far turn, then taking over with a rush under jockey Ricardo Jaime at the five-sixteenths pole to win the $50,000-added El Paso Times Handicap for three-year-old fillies by 1 3/4 lengths over Spoiled.
Speedy Falcon ($4.40) finished 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.07.
The race puts Speedy Falcon on course to start in the one-mile, $250,000 WinStar Sunland Park Oaks on March 27 for trainer Henry Dominguez.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Turf to dirt and third start off a layoff are two of the more popular handicapping angles. Perfect Design fits both criteria and is as good a play as any in a wide-open Wednesday feature at Gulfstream Park.
A field of 12 was entered for the second-level allowance race run at 1 1/16 miles over the main track. There are no standouts and few throwouts among the dozen.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Papua, the favorite, won Sunday's $81,675 at Aqueduct after Bossanova fell in the stretch and fractured both sesamoid bones in his right foreleg.
Bossanova, the second choice, was removed from the track by the horse ambulance and was later euthanized.
NEW ORLEANS - Race by race, Gradepoint is working his way into the Kentucky Derby picture. Sunday, in his fourth race and first stakes start, Gradepoint won the at Fair Grounds, beating Mr. Jester by a half-length.
Gradepoint was the second choice and paid $5.80 to win, and few could have been surprised at his victory - Neil Howard trains Gradepoint. On Saturday, Shadow Cast won the Grade 2 Silvebulletday Stakes here for Howard, and horses he trained won the New Orleans Handicap the last two seasons.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A.P. Adventure remained unbeaten in three starts after weaving her way between rivals in the stretch of Sunday's $250,000 at Santa Anita.
The victory in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies left A.P. Adventure's connections - owners Bob and Beverly Lewis, trainer Wally Dollase and jockey Alex Solis - wondering what she will accomplish in the future.
"She's so laid back," Solis said. "She has so much to learn and that's the scary thing about it. She's just having fun."
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The Kiaran McLaughlin juggernaut continues to roll along. Even in his absence.
Roar Emotion gave the McLaughlin barn, which is winning races at better than a 60 per cent clip at Gulfstream Park this winter, its third stakes victory of the meet when drawing off to an easy 5 1/2-length victory over Nonsuch Bay in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 .
There Goes Rocket was up for a neck win over Sling Shot in the $75,000 colts and geldings division of the Texas Stallion Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday night. Woodmeister finished third, eight lengths behind Sling Shot.
There Goes Rocket ($3.20) settled in fifth early in the mile and a sixteenth race for 3-year-olds, then outgamed Sling Shot in the stretch. He covered the distance over a muddy track in 1:47.64.
