MIAMI - Political Attack proved once and for all that he can get a mile and an eighth by posting a 1 1/2-length victory over Millennium Dragon and 10 other grass specialists in Saturday's $100,000 at Calder.
Political Attack, a 4-year-old son of Hawk Attack, had never won beyond 1 1/16 miles. In his only previous try at 1 1/8 miles, Political Attack finished an even fifth in the Grade 2 Belmont Park Breeders' Cup Handicap on Sept. 13.
NEW ORLEANS - The whole notion of a longshot needs revising when it comes to Andy Leggio at Fair Grounds. Long prices on Leggio-trained stakes horses have little bearing on their chance of winning.
In March, Leggio won the Explosive Bid Handicap with Candid Glen, who paid $170.20. And Saturday G.W.'s Skippie won the $60,000 Tenacious Handicap by 1 1/4 lengths over Spanish Empire, paying $92.60. Leggio's main owner, Glen Warren, owns both horses.
MIAMI - One year ago, New Economy used a fifth-place finish in Calder's $100,000 My Charmer Handicap as a stepping-stone to the most important victory of her career three weeks later in the Grade 2 La Prevoyante Handicap. This year New Economy didn't wait for the La Prevoyante, instead rallying to a half-length decision over 2-1 favorite Something Ventured in Saturday's Grade 3 My Charmer.
ALBANY, Calif. - Boston Common, a Grade 2 winner who set the pace in the 2002 Breeders' Cup Mile, scored a wire-to-wire victory in the $60,500 Oakland Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.
Boston Common ($3.40) broke on top from the rail and was never seriously challenged as he defeated My Captain and More Crafty by 2 1/2 lengths in the six-furlong race, which was run in 1:09.04 on a muddy track. My Captain was second by a nose.
Owner Richard Englander sent Boston Common west after he ran seventh in the Grade 1 De Francis Memorial at Laurel on Nov. 15.
Affirmed Dancer, making just her second lifetime start on dirt, edged clear down the stretch before holding on for a three-quarter-length victory against 11 other fillies and mares in the $49,500 My Charmer Stakes at Turfway Park.
Trained by John Kimmel and ridden by Willie Martinez, Affirmed Dancer returned $18.40 after finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.43 over a muddy track. Donnaree finished second, another neck ahead of Glitter Act, who led most of the way. My Trusty Cat, the 5-2 favorite, finished fifth.
VINTON, La. - Owner Kaaren Biggs and trainer Steve Wren resisted the urge to ship Louisiana-based colt Mr. Jester to California for the $1.5 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile, deciding instead to wait for the $1 million Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs.
The decision paid $600,000 Friday night when Mr. Jester drove to a three-quarter-length win over Fire Slam in Louisiana's richest race. It was another neck back in third to a fast-closing Perfect Moon.
VINTON, La. - Salty Romance, who was excluded from the $1 million Delta Jackpot, picked up a nice consolation prize Friday night when she cruised to a 5 1/4-length win as a strong favorite in the $250,000 Delta Princess.
The one-mile race for 2-year-old fillies was one of three undercard stakes supporting the Jackpot.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Adoration is taking a massive pay cut to start in Sunday's $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park.
But then there are not many races as rich as the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff, which Adoration won in a 40-1 upset in her last start on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita.
Instead of giving Adoration a rest and pointing for major stakes early in 2004, owners John and Jerry Amerman and trainer David Hofmans opted for a start in the Grade 2 Bayakoa, run over 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Trainer Eduardo Inda was down to four horses in August when he won an allowance race at Del Mar that sparked a four-race winning streak.
For Inda, who trained champion older female Riboletta in 2000, the wins provided a much-needed boost to his confidence and his stature in the sport.
Through the fall, Inda's stable has slowly grown to 10, including Sparkling Ava, who starts in Sunday's $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park.
"I was down a little bit," he said. "I won four in a row, and that really helped."
