Castleton Lyons’ Gio Ponti notched his fourth consecutive grade I victory Aug. 8 at Arlington Park, as he rolled to a 1 1/4-length win in the Arlington Million (gr. IT) under Ramon Dominguez.
Photo: Four Footed Fotos
Jockey Kent Desormeaux guided Dynaforce to victory in the grade I$750,000 Beverly D. Aug. 8 at Arlington Park.
Photo: Four Footed Fotos
The longest shot in a field of six, 18-1 Bullsbay pulled a shocking upset in the $750,000 Whitney Handicap (gr. I) Aug. 8 at Saratoga, splitting horses on the turn and pulling away for a 1 1/2-length score under Jeremy Rose.
Starlight Partners’ Take the Points (left), locked in a stirring stretch duel with Black Bear Island, got up in the final strides under Kent Desormeaux to earn his first graded stakes win in the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) Aug. 8 on the Arlington Park turf.
Photo: Four Footed Fotos
Odds-on choice Zensational made it back-to-back grade I wins over older horses when he scored a front-running 2 1/2-length victory in the $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 8.
The fast-closing Flashing collared pacesetter Heart Ashley with a sixteenth of a mile to run and went on to a 1 1/2-length win in the $300,000 Test Stakes (gr. IT) at Saratoga Aug. 8.
Jerry and Ann Moss’ distaff champion Zenyatta, with Mike Smith aboard, outside, unbeaten in 11 races, maintained her perfect record, but just barely as she got up in the final strides to win the grade I $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes over longshot Anabaa’s Creation, August 9 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
In a battle of all-star sprinters at showery Saratoga Aug. 9, even-money choice Fabulous Strike edged past stubborn pacesetter Go Go Shoot in deep stretch to win the $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. II).
Favored Lookin at Lucky, in the familiar red and yellow Mike Pegram silks for trainer Bob Baffert, jumped into graded company with a three-quarters of a length win in the $150,000 Best Pal Stakes (gr. II) at Del Mar Aug. 9.
Quality Road returned to racing in fine form Aug. 3 by smashing a track record in the six and half-furlong Amsterdam Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga Race Course.