After the Wire - 11/11/2012

Evan recaps the Cardinal Handicap, Long Island Handicap, and New York Stallion Stakes series at Aqueduct.

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Starformer Fights to Long Island Win

Briefly headed in deep stretch but game every step of the way, Juddmonte Farms' homebred Starformer repealed the challenge of Mystical Star to take the $150,000 Long Island Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Aqueduct Nov. 10.

Long Island is Swan Song for Hit It Rich

Hit It Rich, who last year won her first graded stakes in the Long Island Handicap (gr. IIIT), attempts to conclude her career with another victory in the race at Aqueduct Nov. 10.

McGaughey Says Point of Entry in HOY Picture

Trainer Shug McGaughey says Point of Entry, his Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) winner Sept. 29, should be a prime contender for Horse of the Year if he can win the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT).

Zagora Takes on Europeans in Flower Bowl

Multiple graded stakes winner Zagora heads the $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational (gr. IT) at Belmont Park Sept. 29, while European invaders I'm a Dreamer and Nahrain are poised to challenge.

Saratoga Diary: On to Belmont

Shanghai Bobby serves his namesake well.

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Hit It Rich Has Golden Win in Glens Falls

Hit It Rich struck gold with her impressive, gate-to-wire performance under Javier Castellano in the Sept. 3 Glens Falls Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Saratoga for owner/breeder Stuart Janney and trainer Shug McGaughey.

Hit It Rich Favorite of Six in Glens Falls

Stuart S. Janney III's Hit It Rich is the 7-5 morning-line favorite over five other fillies and mares in the $150,000 Glens Falls Stakes (gr. IIIT) on Sept. 3, closing day at Saratoga Race Course.

Mystical Star Gets Revenge in New York Stakes

Mystical Star got sweet revenge in the $200,000 New York Stakes (gr. IIT) June 30 at Belmont, experiencing no difficulties at the start to keep her from victory as she did in the May 26 Sheepshead Bay (gr. IIT) last time out.

Three Graded Victors Vie for Eatontown Win

The June 30 Eatontown Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Monmouth Park has attracted a diverse group of fillies and mares, with graded stakes winners Ruthenia, Heavenly Landing, and Unbridled Humor being the standouts.

Aruna Takes Start-Plagued Sheepshead Bay

Flaxman Holdings homebred Aruna took charge at the five-sixteenths pole and held off Hit It Rich to win the Sheepshead Bay, a race that was impacted by a troubled start for Mystical Star and Magical Cat.

Aruna Looks to Get Back On Beam in Sheepshead

No factor in her only start this year, Aruna looks to get back on the beam for trainer Graham Motion in the $200,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes (gr. IIT), scheduled for the inner turf course at Belmont Park May 26.

Hit It Rich Gets Up Late to Win Orchid Stakes

It was close, but Hit It Rich prevailed in the $150,000 Orchid Stakes (gr. IIIT) March 31 at South Florida's Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old daughter of Smart Strike got up late to defeat Aqsaam by a half-length.

Keertana Should be Tough in Orchid Stakes

Five-time graded stakes winner Keertana was a close second in her most recent start and will likely be favored to break through this time when she leads a field of nine fillies and mares in the $150,000 Orchid (gr. III).

Snow Top Mountain Scores Suwannee River

After being graded stakes placed four times in her career, Barbara Hunter's homebred mare Snow Top Mountain finally notched her first graded stakes in the Suwannee River (gr. IIIT) Feb. 11 at Gulfstream Park.

Heavenly Landing Tries for More in Suwannee

Heavenly Landing, a 19-1 upsetter in last month's Marshua's River (gr. IIIT), will try to keep her perfect turf record intact Feb. 11 when she goes in the $150,000 Suwannee River (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park.

Senada, Cheetah Square Off in La Prevoyante

Senada and Cheetah, the respective first- and third-place finishers in the Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 23, will again square off in the $100,000 La Prevoyante Handicap (gr. IIIT).

Hit It Rich Bags First Stakes in Long Island

Stuart Janney III's homebred Hit It Rich shadowed front-running Unbridled Essence for more than a mile, then took over in the lane and pulled away to win the $150,000 Long Island Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the turf Nov. 12.

Emerald Beech Stands Out in Long Island 'Cap

Emerald Beech, a grade III winner two starts back and a four-time winner this season, will carry top weight of 119 pounds for the $150,000 Long Island Handicap (gr. IIIT) Nov. 12 at Aqueduct.

International Fillies Headline E.P. Taylor

An internationally-loaded field of 11 was drawn for the 1 1/4-mile E.P Taylor (Can-IT), which is the second of three grade I races on Woodbine's Sunday card.

Stacelita Ready to Bloom in Flower Bowl

Martin S. Schwartz' Stacelita will be going for her second consecutive grade I triumph when she takes on seven others in the Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont Park Oct. 1.

BC Winner Shared Account Heads Canadian

Shared Account, last year's winner of the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), figures to draw a good deal of interest in the Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT) at Woodbine Sept 18.

Patience a Virtue for Emerald Beech

MAHUBAH'S CORNER
Hitting her stride at 5, Maria's Mon's Saratoga graded stakes winner Emerald Beech is a throwback to the stamina-oriented, late-developing runners of America's turf history.

Glens Falls: Emerald Beech Wins 4th Straight

Emerald Beech overhauled pacesetter Dynaslew past mid-stretch to register her fourth consecutive victory by 1 1/2 lengths in the $102,000 Glens Falls (gr. IIIT), the final stakes event of the 2011 Saratoga season Sept. 5.

Romacaca After 6th in a Row in Ballston Spa

As good as she has been during her current five-race winning streak, Romacaca will need to step it up a bit to keep her string alive in the $200,000 Ballston Spa Stakes (gr. IIT) on the Saratoga turf Aug. 27.