SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Left Bank left no doubt about his ability to get a distance of ground by whipping the best field of handicap horses assembled this year in Saturday's $750,000, Grade 1 at Saratoga.
Taking over from pacesetting Saint Verre turning for home, Left Bank rolled to a 1 1/4-length victory over even-money favorite Street Cry, who nosed out defending Whitney winner Lido Palace for second. Macho Uno, Unshaded, and Saint Verre completed the order of finish.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Hours after he watches former pupil Cigar get inducted into racing's Hall of Fame, trainer Bill Mott figures to be in the winner's circle with his latest star student.
Mott will send out Patrol in Monday's $150,000, Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Handicap as Saratoga wraps up week two. A field of eight was entered for the nine-furlong turf race, but two were put in for main-track only and another, Chiselling, may not run.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Dance Dreamer gave jockey Kent Desormeaux a win to remember in an allowance race at Hollywood Park on July 6. After squeaking through along the rail to win by a neck, Dance Dreamer unseated Desormeaux during the gallop-out.
"He had me chewing on the grass," Desormeaux said. "I think the birds jumped up in front of him. I trusted him to gallop out like an old champ, but he was full of himself."
On Monday, Desormeaux and Dance Dreamer are reunited in a $65,000 optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Cigar and Serena's Song, two of the dominant horses of the 1990's, will be inducted into the Thoroughbred racing's National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Monday.
The two modern-day equine heroes will join trainer Grover "Bud" Delp, the late jockey Jack Westrope, and Noor as the 2002 inductees. The induction ceremony will be held at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion on East Ave. beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Charlsie Cantey, a veteran racing commentator and stakes-winning trainer, will deliver the keynote speech.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Listen Here, taking advantage of a suicidal pace and jockey Pat Day's patient handling, finished full of run through the stretch for a 2 1/4-length victory over a game Boston Common in Saturday's $150,000 at Saratoga.
Mayakovsky, the 6-5 favorite, tired badly after contesting the pace into the stretch and finished a well-beaten fourth. The previously undefeated Greatness flashed brief speed before fading badly and finishing seventh in a field of eight 3-year-olds.
DEL MAR, Calif. - A record-setting win by Special Ring in Friday's $77,075 Wickerr Handicap left trainer Julio Canani dreaming of a third win in the Breeders' Cup Mile later this year. Special Ring lowered the course record for one mile on turf to 1:32.72 with an emphatic two-length win in the restricted stakes.
"What a race he ran," Canani said. "He exploded."
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. - Farda Amiga, who has not started since upsetting the Kentucky Oaks, will return to action at Saratoga Aug. 17 in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes. Farda Amiga paid $42 after running down the pacesetting favorite Take Charge Lady to win the Grade 1 Oaks under Chris McCarron.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - If there was ever a sentimental favorite heading into a race, it would have to be More Mascara in the $40,000-added Elie Destruel Handicap at six furlongs on Monday, closing day at the Sonoma County Fair.
Gloria Haley, More Mascara's trainer, was born and raised in Santa Rosa, but the sentiment surrounds More Mascara herself.
The 7-year-old mare was born with only one eye and a deformed face that needed to be braced the first six months of her life.
FORT ERIE, Ontario - Monday could be a big day for apprentice jockey Kris Robinson, who will ride in both halves of the stakes doubleheader carded on the Civic Holiday program.
Robinson, 26, became a stakes-winning rider when he captured the Border Cup here two weeks ago aboard Prospective Gal.
Trained by Daryl Ezra, Prospective Gal will be the likely favorite in Monday's first stakes, the $60,000-added Lauries Dancer. The 1 1/16-mile race drew a field of six Canadian-foaled fillies and mares, 3 and up, who have started at least twice at the current meeting.
MUSKEGON, Mich. - Born to Dance, the reigning Michigan horse of the year, will face Sefas Rose, who handed her her lone defeat at Great Lakes Downs, and seven other Michigan-bred fillies and mares in the $45,000 Moonbeam Handicap Monday. The Moonbeam, at 1 1/16 miles, is carded as the fourth of nine races.
Sefas Rose, who is owned by Farid and Joan Sefa, won the Larkspur Handicap on May 24 here, defeating Born to Dance and four other of her Moonbeam rivals. Since the Moonbeam, she has finished second in allowance company at Thistledown and Ellis Park.
