Stonecrest Farm's Perfect Drift, who edged heavily favored Mineshaft in the Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I), will get a little time to relax after the biggest win of his career. After that, the sky's the limit, says trainer Murray Johnson.
Sky Jack, who finished sixth in a tough allowance race on the grass at Hollywood Park Friday night in his first start since undergoing a third knee surgery in September, will not defend honors in the Hollywood Gold Cup July 13, according to trainer Doug O'Neill.
Charles Fipke's Irish homebred Perfect Soul wound up for his late bid from the far outside in the final turn and went on to tally an easy 2 1/2-length victory over Strut the Stage in Sunday's $336,000 King Edward Breeders' Cup Handicap (Can-IIT) on the Woodbine turf.
Farish, Elkins & Webber's Rock Slide edged favored Miesque's Approval in a head bobbing finish by a nose in Sunday's $160,650 Sea o'Erin Breeders' Cup Mile at Arlington Park before a Father's Day crowd of 26,101.
Blazonry, winner of the Laz Barrera Memorial Stakes (gr. II) in his last start on May 26, worked six furlongs in a bullet 1:11.60 Sunday at Santa Anita for the $100,000-added Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) for 3-year-olds June 21 at Hollywood Park.
Azeri, reigning Horse of the Year, seeks her 10th straight victory in defense of honors in the $250,000 Vanity Handicap (gr. I) for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles Saturday at Hollywood Park.
He's still not sure if Wando can get the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Queen's Plate June 21, but trainer Mike Keogh was definitely happy with his colt's key work Sunday.
Jockey Emile Ramsammy, thrown when his horse Stormthebarricade fell after clipping heels with Gemini Dream in Saturday's Victoria Stakes at Woodbine, suffered a fractured cheekbone.
Gary Tanaka's San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap (gr. IT) winner Passinetti has been taken out of training and will be rested for an indefinite amount of time, trainer Ben Cecil said. The 7-year-old gelding re-injured the same tendon that kept him out of training for three years.
Days of rain forced the $114,600 Sands Point Stakes off the water-logged Belmont Park turf Sunday and enabled main-track-only Savedbythelight to draw off and win the depleted 1 1/8-mile Father's Day stakes race in 1:49 on a fast track.
Hall of fame conditioner Ron McAnally confirmed that Candy Ride, an Argentine import who won a main track allowance event last week by three lengths, will likely make his North American stakes debut on the turf in the $150,000 American Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hollywood Park on July 4.
Turns out Perfect Drift was carrying just a tad more than his assigned 115 pounds at Churchill Downs June 14 in the $856,500 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I). Tucked under the saddlecloth beneath Pat Day was a six-inch braid of hair made from John Henry's tail.
Trainer Neil Drysdale appears to have a star in Storming Home, who overcame some trouble to win Saturday's $350,000 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (gr. IT) on the Hollywood Park turf as the 3-10 favorite.
Iron Deputy, the least-heralded of the five runners in Saturday's $250,000 Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II), used a big break in the weights and his own speed to score a front-running 2 ½-length victory in the nine-furlong race.
Bidding for his second group I victory of the season, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Hawk Wing faces 10 foes in the Queen Anne Stakes Tuesday, opening day at Royal Ascot.
Barry K. Schwartz, NYRA chairman and CEO, issued a scathing response Saturday to the state attorney general's critical report of the association's operations.
Kentucky's equine industry will be the focus June 18 when the recently formed Subcomittee on Horse Farming of the Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources holds its first meeting.
