MIAMI, Fla. - Ivanavinalot left little doubt she is the premier 2-year-old filly on the grounds at Calder this summer by registering a convincing five-length victory over Dakota Light in Saturday's $100,000 Brave Raj Stakes.
Ivanavinalot, a daughter of West Acre who was bred by owner Gil Campbell, disputed the pace from the outset of the mile and 70-yard Brave Raj, shook free into the stretch, and then extended her advantage despite drifting steadily through the final furlong.
Trainer Frank Alexander chose to run Babae in Friday night's Grade 3 Violet Handicap at The Meadowlands rather than Saturday's Noble Damsel at Belmont Park, partly because of the $150,000 purse, but also because he knew jockey Jorge Chavez would accept the mount.
Alexander knew what he was doing.
Babae ($6.40), beaten in her last two starts in New York, wore down pacesetter Platinium Tiara and drew off to a three-length win.
NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Ifufeelfroggyleap broke alertly to make the lead and then widened out to a 4 1/2-length win over four Ohio-bred 2-year-old fillies in the $30,000 Emerald Necklace stakes at Thistledown. The race was run as a nonwagering exhibition before the first parimutuel race of the day.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Longshot Brusque handed 3-5 favorite Handpainted her first loss when she led throughout to win the Grade 2, $276,500 Mazarine Breeders' Cup Stakes at Woodbine.
Brusque ($38.10) set uncontested fractions of 23.30 seconds, 47.30, and 1:12.24 in the 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old fillies. Handpainted stalked in second all the way but never got within earshot of Brusque, who prevailed by
2 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:45.33 over a fast track.
The public wasn't impressed by Katzen's 3-for-4 record on turf and allowed the 3-year-old filly to go off at 18-1 in the $101,200 Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park.
Katzen proved her record was no fluke by drawing off to a 2 1/4-length win over 9-5 favorite Affirmed Dancer. Her time for 1 1/8 miles on firm turf was 1:50.31.
Ridden for the first time by Oliver Castillo for trainer Steve Klesaris, Katzen ($38.80) finished last in her only previous stakes race on Aug. 31. Previously, she won three straight grass races at Delaware and Monmouth.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - David Copperfield, sidelined 14 months with an ankle injury, won the second straight start of his comeback in Saturday's $200,000 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap.
David Copperfield ($7) defeated Ninebanks by a neck while running 1 1/8 miles on the Longden Turf Course in 1:48.95.
Prodigious sprinted to the early lead, and David Copperfield's jockey, Jason Lumpkins, was content to be second.
"I had no concern," Lumpkins said. "I knew he had speed. He tossed his head up on me at the start, but then he leveled off and rated nicely."
FRANKLIN, Ky. - Jake the Flake wore down Glick in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the $200,000 Kentucky Cup Mile, the secondary feature of the Kentucky Cup grass series Saturday at Kentucky Downs.
Jake the Flake, a 6-year-old Gold Spring gelding, closed from last to win by three-quarters of a length. Pyrus, the early pacesetter in a field of eight, finished third, another 3 1/2 lengths back.
FRANKLIN, Ky. - A seasoned older horse from the East Coast was supposed to win the $300,000 Kentucky Cup Turf on Saturday at Kentucky Downs. But instead of Cetewayo, the millionaire 8-year-old who was favored at 9-5 in a field of 11, it was the 6-year-old Rochester who came bounding home a 2 1/2-length winner for Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard.
Docent completed a day dominated by favorites when he drew off in the stretch to score a two-length victory over Hay Getoutofmyway in Saturday's $200,000 Maryland Million Classic at Pimlico.
A 4-year-old colt trained by Tim Ritchey and ridden by Jeremy Rose, Docent ($5) has now won his last three starts on dirt, all in stakes. He covered 1 3/16 miles on a fast track in 1:56.85.