ALBANY, Calif. - Tropical Blossom ($7.40), who had been chasing Azeri and Got Koko in Southern California, made a strong rail move in the lane to capture her first stakes victory in winning the $64,400 Star Ball Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
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DRF Past Performances
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Congaree remained the king of Queens on Saturday while Jerry Bailey remained the king of reins.
In another exceptional performance in a brilliant career, Congaree blew away his six rivals and won his second consecutive Grade 1 by 5 1/4 lengths before 5,459 at windblown Aqueduct. Midas Eyes finished second, three lengths ahead of Toccet, who was third.
Congaree, who won last year's Cigar by 5 1/2 lengths, is 4 for 4 at Aqueduct. He won the 2001 Wood Memorial and this year's Grade 1 Carter.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Last year in the fall, a New York-bred 2-year-old named Funny Cide was turning some heads. This year, another New York-bred juvenile, Read the Footnotes, is making noise.
Read the Footnotes won his second consecutive graded stakes Saturday in the $200,000 at Aqueduct. Ridden by Jerry Bailey, Read the Footnotes won the Remsen by 3 3/4 lengths over European invader Master David. West Virginia finished third, 10 3/4 lengths behind Master David, in the 11-horse field.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Ashado overcame her nasty habit of waiting on horses, as well as a stubborn rival in La Reina, to win Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 by a nose at Aqueduct.
It was a half-length back to Dr. Kathy in third.
Jerry Bailey rode Ashado to the win, the first of three stakes wins on the card which enabled him to break Mike Smith's single-season record for stakes wins (68) in one year. Bailey ended the day with 70.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Nick Zito capped a sensational Thanksgiving weekend in Kentucky when heavily favored The Cliff's Edge came through with a three-quarter-length triumph Saturday in the $222,200 .
Zito, who won the Clark Handicap the previous day with Quest, seemed equally relieved and elated with the workmanlike triumph by The Cliff's Edge, who was kept wide and out of potential trouble when passing most of the field and taking the lead into the stretch.
"He was really professional today," said Zito. "It wasn't easy, but we did it."
In the $230,000 , Be Gentle ($6) took command soon after the start and held off two serious challenges to give trainer D. Wayne Lukas his record fifth victory in the Grade 2 race for 2-year-old fillies.
Be Gentle, owned by Tom VanMeter 2nd and ridden by John McKee, held a short lead over Lotta Kim from the start of the 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod. Turning for home, both Lotta Kim and 62-1 shot Dynaville were poised to pass, but Be Gentle turned them back with relative ease, winning by a length in 1:45.91. Lotta Kim, ridden by Thompson, held second by a head over Dynaville.
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - Trainer Bill Leach wasn't concerned about Homemaker facing 2-5 favorite Bugsy Marrone in the $55,400 Princess Stakes at Sunland Park.
After Homemaker won the Princess Stakes, a six-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies, Leach was asked if he was pleased when Bugsy Marrone was hooked in a speed duel that yielded a 44.44 half.
"Not to be bragging," Leach said, "but I thought we had the class of the race to begin with."
Simply Jolie improved to 3 for 4, driving to a 4 3/4-length win over even-money choice Family Favorite in the $40,000 Delta Belle at Delta Downs. It was another two lengths back in third to Clever Melody.
Simply Jolie ($11) stalked leader My Golden Tripp early, before covering the five furlongs for 2-year-old fillies in 59.57 seconds. C.J. Woodley rode Simply Jolie for trainer Chad Hassenpflug.
Hawkish, the top 2-year-old Quarter Horse in California, set the fourth fastest qualifying time for the $1,367,650 Los Alamitos Million Futurity with a third-place finish in time trials on Friday at Los Alamitos. Hawkish will earn a $1 million bonus if he can win the 400-yard final of the Los Alamitos Million on Dec. 12.
Oak Tree Special won his eighth straight race Friday night when he edged Southern Cartel by a nose in the Grade 1, $362,925 Texas Classic Derby for Quarter Horses. J.R. Ramirez rode Oak Tree Special ($3.60) for trainer Bobby Martinez.
Special Task Force ($65.40) earned a berth to the $500,000 Champion of Champions on the undercard when he upset the field in the Grade 1, $100,000 Refrigerator Handicap for Quarter Horses.