Mon, 08/26/2002 - 00:00

Came Home upsets Pacific Classic

DEL MAR, Calif. ? Came Home, who has dominated 3-year-old racing on the West Coast this year, pulled an upset in Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, in which his entrymate Bosque Redondo was injured.

Came Home ($23) beat 13 others including War Emblem, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner. The 6-5 favorite, War Emblem led briefly in early stretch but finished sixth.

Came Home ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.45 for his sixth stakes win of 2002, all in California. Trained by Paco Gonzalez, Came Home's only loss this year was a sixth in the Kentucky Derby.

Mon, 08/26/2002 - 00:00

Shine Again repeat victor in Ballerina

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Duplicating her sterling performance in last year's Ballerina, Shine Again persevered through the stretch under Jean-Luc Samyn to run down the classy duo of Raging Fever and Mandy's Gold and win the Grade 1, $250,000 Ballerina Handicap by a half-length. Raging Fever, the 6-5 favorite, was second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Mandy's Gold.

Shine Again, trained by Allen Jerkens, became the first repeat winner of the Ballerina in the 24-year history of the race.

Mon, 08/26/2002 - 00:00

Dublino noses Megahertz in Del Mar Oaks

DEL MAR, Calif. - Dublino held off a late surge from Megahertz to win an epic running of the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday. At the finish, a scant nose separated the two top

3-year-old turf fillies in California.

For Dublino, the victory avenged a disqualification in the American Oaks at Hollywood Park last month when she was demoted from first to second for interfering with runner-up Megahertz in the stretch.

Mon, 08/26/2002 - 00:00

Not even slop can slow Medaglia d'Oro

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Medaglia d'Oro overcame the only obstacle his trainer thought he had by handling a sloppy track, then turned back the late run of Repent to win Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes by a half-length on a raw, rainy day at Saratoga.

Repent, making his first start off a 140-day layoff, ran a strong race to be second, 7 1/2 lengths ahead of Nothing Flat.

Mon, 08/26/2002 - 00:00

Canterbury Park: Festival of Champions

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - The Minnesota Festival of Champions featured all statebred runners.

o Maywood's Jack ($16.20) made the most of an inside bias to win the Northern Lights Futurity.

o She's Scrumpy ($13) wrested command from pacesetting Traffic Belle to win the Northern Lights Debutante by 1 1/2 lengths.

o J. P. Jet ($2.80) lived up to his odds-on billing when he captured the Minnesota Classic Championship by 2 3/4 lengths over Ashar.

o Lakeville ($7.60) took the Minnesota Distaff Classic Championship by a neck over Aashu.

Mon, 08/26/2002 - 00:00

Wild Snitch romps

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Wild Snitch ($3.60) won the Grade 3, $100,000 Sorority by nearly seven lengths in only her second career start.

The victory by Wild Snitch gave trainer Ben Perkins Jr. his third consecutive Sorority win. He is the first trainer to win three straight runnings in the race's 46-year history.

Advancing Storm, the 8-5 second choice, was pulled up and was later discovered to have fractured her right front knee. She was euthanized.

Mon, 08/26/2002 - 00:00

The filly takes the Canadian cake

EDMONTON, Alberta - The 73rd running of the $150,000 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park had everything you could ask for. With a large field, no clear favorite, and beautiful weather, the biggest crowd in recent memory watched as Lady Shari become just the third filly in history to win the biggest race of the year in Alberta.

Mon, 08/26/2002 - 00:00

Met Mile winner Exciting Story retires

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Exciting Story, victorious in last year's Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont, has been retired from racing, according to his trainer, Mark Casse.

"He's not going to run anymore," Casse said on Saturday. "We've got some people interested in him as a stallion prospect. There's a chance he could go overseas, but nothing is firm yet."

Exciting Story, owned by Mockingbird Farm, was crowned Canada's champion 2-year-old in 1999. He suffered a serious injury in his final start that year, in the Grade 1 Grey Breeders' Cup Stakes.

Sun, 08/25/2002 - 00:00

Sabertooth takes Longacres Mile

Emerald Downs
Sabertooth and rider Nate Chaves are clear as they drive to the wire enroute to a 2 1/2-length upset win in Sunday's Grade 3 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.

AUBURN, Wash. - Unhearalded Sabertooth went to the front at the start and was never seriously challenged en route to a stunning 2 1/2 length victory in Sunday's 67th running of the Grade 3, $250,000 at Emerald Downs.

Sun, 08/25/2002 - 00:00

'The Judge' best in Oklahoma Derby

Reed Palmer Photography
The Judge Sez Who gets up in time under Cornelio Velasquez to take Sunday's Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Judge Sez Who rebounded from a heartbreaking loss in the West Virginia Derby with a determined, half-length win over favorite Easyfromthegitgo in the Grade 3, $296,500 at Remington Park on Sunday.

It was another head back in third to A.P. Five Hundred.