SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It might be blasphemy to suggest, but trainer Todd Pletcher may not have the horse to beat in Monday's Grade 2, $150,000 Adirondack Stakes for juvenile fillies.
Pletcher, who has won both juvenile stakes at this meet and 23 races here overall, sends out Lokoya in the Adirondack, run at 6 1/2 furlongs. Lokoya, a daughter of Woodman, won her maiden by three lengths at Belmont at first asking on July 4.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Ian Jory has trained such major stakes winners as Best Pal, Marvin's Faith, Vying Victor, and Continental Red, the reigning California-bred horse of the year.
In coming months, Jory's personal all-star team could grow to include Just Parkin, who risks an unbeaten streak when he makes his stakes debut in Monday's $100,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for 3-year-olds at Del Mar.
"I think he's the best horse I've had in a long time," Jory said.
HENDERSON, Ky. - Bare Necessities, confidently handled by Rene Douglas, powered to a 5 1/4-length victory as the highweight and heavy favorite Saturday in the 22nd running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Gardenia Handicap, the annual highlight of the Ellis Park meet.
After settling about eight lengths off the early pace in the 1 1/8-mile race, Bare Necessities moved into contention in the final turn before Douglas cut her loose. Down the stretch, she took three cracks of the whip while pulling away to win in 1:50.09 over a fast track. She returned $2.80 to win.
Crossing Point quickly made his way to the front end under jockey Mario Pino and led throughout in the Dave's Friend Stakes at Laurel Park, winning the six-furlong race over a fast track in 1:09.75. He finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Take Achance on Me and paid $10.80. Deer Run finished third as the favorite.
Crossing Point is trained by John Robb and has now won 10 of 30 lifetime starts and more than $300,000.
Gimmeawink bobbled at the break but recovered quickly, raced just off the pace, and drew off in the stretch to win the $100,000 Larry R. Riviello President's Cup Stakes by five lengths over a fast track at Philadelphia Park. He paid $9.80 and completed the one mile and 70 yards in 1:41.53 in the race, which was restricted to 3-year-olds. Tim Ritchey trains the colt, who has now won 7 of 15 starts. Valleyman, a 65-1 shot, nosed out the favored Implicit for second.
Changeintheweather rallied to win the $55,000 Gate Dancer Stakes by a half-length over Delaware Park's sloppy main track. The 4-year-old colt, trained by Graham Motion, returned $6.60 as the favorite and completed the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:50.92. Jamelao finished second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Run to Victory.
Soto remained unbeaten through five starts by winning a stirring stretch duel with favored Dynever in the Grade 3, $600,000 West Virginia Derby on Saturday at Mountaineer Park. Soto, a 3-year-old colt by Dehere trained by Michael Dickinson, completed the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:46.29, establishing a track record.
A share in Funny Cide's sire, Distorted Humor, sold for $500,000 to top Friday night's Stallion Access Champagne sale of seasons and shares in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Stallion Access does not report the buyers of its seasons and shares at auction. The Distorted Humor share was sold to a buyer bidding by phone through Fasig-Tipton staff. Distorted Humor, a WinStar farm stallion who is also the sire of Awesome Humor, was last year's leading freshman sire.
MIAMI - This track has had a longstanding reputation as a haven for 2-year-old racing. Juvenile races dominate many of the cards here during the second half of the season, while the track's marquee event, the Festival of the Sun, is built around the rich finales of the Florida Stallion Stakes series.