ARCADIA, Calif. - After two thrilling stretch runs in recent weeks, it is safe to say that Devious Boy is only slightly better than Sweet Return.
The pair were separated by a nose while second and third in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 6, and by a head in Saturday's $150,000 at Santa Anita when Devious Boy held off a late rally from Sweet Return.
Devious Boy ($4.20) covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.82, finishing the final three furlongs in about 34.30 seconds.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Parose ($8.30) overhauled Barbeau Ruckus at the sixteenth pole and then edged away to take the Grade 3 Durham Cup Handicap at Woodbine Saturday.
Parose lagged about 15 lengths off the pace on the backstretch of the nine-furlong event. Favored Wake at Noon and Barbeau Ruckus hooked up on the front end through honest fractions, before Barbeau Ruckus took the lead on the far turn.
MIAMI - In nearly a carbon copy of her 2002 performance, Chispiski led every step of the way to defeat Barbara O'Brien by 1 1/2 lengths in the $75,000 U Can Do It Handicap at Calder.
Chispiski, a 4-year-old daughter of Appealing Skier, led throughout to win last year's U Can Do It by 3 3/4 lengths.
In a field cut in half by scratches, Fast Cookie held off four other 3-year-old fillies to win the Grade 2, $250,000 at Philadelphia Park.
Fast Cookie ($7.40) raced four wide under Nick Santagata for nearly the entire 1 1/16 miles, drawing off in the final furlong to beat Ladyecho by 3 3/4 lengths. Savedbythelight was another eight lengths back in third, and favorite City Fire finished last after leading for the opening six furlongs.
Trained by Bill Mott, Fast Cookie finished in 1:45.83 over a fast track for her fifth win in 15 career starts.
MIAMI - Last year the $400,000 In Reality Stakes drew a full field of 14 2-year-olds despite the presence of Lawbook, who had won the opening two legs of the Florida Stallion Series. Lawbook went off as the 6-5 favorite, but his quest for a sweep was compromised when he was shuffled back around the opening turn en route to a sixth-place finish behind pacesetting Trust N Luck.
ANDERSON, Ind. - Awesome Humor broke a string of three consecutive runner-up efforts in graded stakes company with a gutsy win in Friday night's Grade 3, $306,900 Indiana Breeders' Cup Oaks at Hoosier Park.
Ridden by Robby Albarado, Awesome Humor went for the early lead in the 1 1/16-mile Oaks, but that effort was thwarted as Youcan'ttakeme, Star of Atticus, and Harbor Blues raced as a team going into the first turn. Awesome Humor was just off the heels of that trio, racing along the inside.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Owner Martin Schwartz changed trainers but retained his favorite jockey. All the maneuvering paid off Friday night as Bowman's Band won the Grade 2, $400,000 .
Schwartz took the horse from Michael Matz and gave it to Allen Jerkens, the "Giant Killer," who pulled off yet another upset. This time the victim was Volponi, the Breeders' Cup Classic winner.
Schwartz also convinced Ramon Dominguez to spend what turned into a very profitable evening at The Meadowlands.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - It might be debatable whether Take Charge Lady has ever truly belonged in the elite of her class. The two worst starts in her 19-race career both came in the Breeders' Cup, and although she has amassed over $2.1 million in earnings and nearly defeated the great Azeri early this year, she has been soundly defeated by other divisional standouts such as Sightseek and Wild Spirit.
ARCADIA, Calif. - It was way back in spring when owner-breeder Marty Wygod started talking about the Breeders' Cup Sprint for a 4-year-old who had not raced in months. "I love to dream," Wygod said. "Of course at the beginning everybody thought I was crazy."
Not any more. Two romping wins this summer at Del Mar positioned Yankee Gentleman as a potential division leader though he has not raced this year in a graded stakes. That changes Sunday at Santa Anita, where Yankee Gentleman runs in the Grade 1 Ancient Title Handicap, one of three stakes with Breeders' Cup ramifications.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Toby Turrell sat in a vacant Santa Anita grandstand on Friday morning, holding a stopwatch in one hand and his binoculars and a tape recorder in the other.
As horses went through their workouts, Turrell, a private clocker and tip-sheet author, watched their every move, interrupting a conversation to offer commentary that he would later use in his analysis.
Between workouts, Turrell made a prediction - Apache Wings, whom Turrell co-owns, would have a multi-length lead in early stretch of Sunday's $300,000 Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile.
