ALBANY, Calif. - The Herc took the lead out of the gate, extended it on the turn and cruised to victory in the $65,600 Golden Bear Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.
A $50,000 claim at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita, The Herc won the Sunny Slope Stakes in his first start for trainer Gary Stute. He faded badly in the Pinjara at one mile on the turf but returned to a sprint Sunday and was never challenged.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Six Sexy Sisters, a full-sister to Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando, easily won her stakes debut Sunday at Woodbine in the $160,950 , for Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies.
Six Sexy Sisters broke slowly in the mile and a sixteenth event, and then dragged jockey Patrick Husbands past front-running Duet early on the backstretch. She set moderate middle fractions, and opened up clear lead exiting the far turn. Duet narrowed the gap in the stretch, but Six Sexy Sisters got home on top by two lengths, in a final time of 1:47.26.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Strength in numbers gave trainer Bobby Frankel a record 860th win at Hollywood Park in Saturday's $250,000 .
Frankel finished first and second with Epicentre and Continuously, but Epicentre was disqualified and placed third for interfering with pacesetter Bowman Mill in the stretch.
The steward's decision gave Continuously his first stakes win in the Grade 1 Turf Cup, and moved Frankel past the late Charles Whittingham on Hollywood Park's all-time trainer's list.
Frankel was equally enthused to have scored a record 24th Grade 1 win in 2003.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Balto Star is capable of running brilliant races and is also known for throwing in some complete duds. On Saturday at Aqueduct in the Grade 2, $150,000 , Balto Star had on his game face and wired the field for a 3 1/4-length victory.
The late-closing Macaw, the 2-1 favorite, finished second in the 11-horse field of turf runners. Cetewayo was third, a neck behind Macaw. Final Prophecy, Haggs Castle, Deputy Strike, Revved Up, He Flies, Dawn of the Condor, Quiet Ruler, and Tripat completed the order of finish in the final turf stakes of the year in New York.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Four weeks ago, Riskaverse and Bien Nicole were also-rans in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita. But when a field of 12 turned into the stretch Saturday in the $175,200 at Churchill Downs, the pair took center stage, with Riskaverse ultimately emerging as the star of the moment.
Under a terrific ride by Cornelio Velasquez, Riskaverse wore down Bien Nicole to win the 30th running of the Grade 3 Cardinal by three-quarters of a length. Firth of Lorne was another four lengths back in third in the 1 1/8-mile grass race.
SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - The Racing industry in New Mexico was on the verge of collapse in 1999 when the state approved relief in the form of slot machines. On Tuesday, when Sunland Park begins an 80-day mixed meet, purses will average $250,000 per day, an increase of $20,000 a day from last year's landmark meet, during which handle increased 32 percent from the preceding year.
Glen Corbett, currently third in the Turf Paradise jockey standings, won with five of his six mounts there Friday.
Corbett, 38, won with Craklin Suzie ($7.20) and Talavesa ($4.40) to sweep the early daily double and Hookahey ($20.60) and Playoftheday ($16) in the fourth and fifth races. He then won the ninth race finale with Sportscenter Hero ($7.80).
ALBANY, Calif. - Unbeaten Wildwood Flower ($3.60) scored her first stakes victory as she ran her record to 3 for 3, winning the $65,350 Piedmont Stakes by five lengths at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.
Wildwood Flower was third down the backstretch, and moved closer to early pacesetter Hot Weekend and Siberian Shamrock on the turn. Under jockey Kevin Radke, she quickly established command into the stretch and pulled away for the victory over Siberian Shamrock in the four-horse field of 2-year-old fillies. She was timed in 1:09.48 for six furlongs over a fast track.
Ironton shot ahead of pacesetting Boca Bound after a half-mile, opened up a 3 1/2-length lead around the turn, and held on stubbornly against a trio of fast closers to win the $75,000 Northern Dancer for Maryland-bred 3-year-olds at Laurel Park.
Ironton hit the wire a nose in front of runner-up James, with Conservation a neck behind in third and High Watermark, the fastest closer of all, another neck behind in fourth. The even-money favored entry of Foufa's Warrior and Boca Bound finished last and next-to-last in the field of eight.
Smarty Jones broke 10th from his inside post in the field of 11 in the $50,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes for statebred 2-year-old colts and geldings at Philadelphia Park - but it didn't much matter.
Smarty Jones accelerated quickly and was in front and clear before leaving the chute. The rest of the race was uneventful for the odds-on Smarty Jones, who sped off to a 15-length victory under wraps for trainer John Servis, .
