Besilu Stables' Royal Delta held off a late challenger to win the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) by a neck at Delaware Park July 21, but it wasn't the nemesis everyone thought she'd face near the wire.
Champion Acclamation ran his winning streak to seven en route to his second straight triumph in the $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes (gr. IT), drawing away in the stretch after setting the pace on the Del Mar turf July 21.
It didn't go as smoothly as planned but odds-on choice Silver Max got the job done anyway in the $600,000 Virginia Derby (gr. IIT), registering his sixth consecutive turf win on yielding ground at Colonial Downs July 21.
Godolphin Racing's Questing earned the first grade I win of her career and gave 19-year-old jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. the same when she took the $300,000 TVG Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) July 21 at Saratoga.
Leading turf three-year-old Silver Max continued his winning ways Saturday in the Grade 2, $600,000 Virginia Derby, making it six straight with a comfortable one-length score over the yielding turf at Colonial Downs. He entered the 1 1/4-mile test with an impressive resume but no experience past 8 1/2 furlongs, but the additional ground proved to be no obstacle for the Dale Romans-trained colt, who will likely head to the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park August 18 as the horse to beat.
Reigning champion older male Acclamation cruised to a 2 3/4-length repeat victory in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar, extending his current winning streak to seven. Hammered down to 1-2 favoritism, the California-bred star took his customary spot on the front end, easily shrugged off a brief move by Slim Shadey, and stamped his authority down the stretch.
Under an enterprising ride by Robby Albarado, Landaluce Educe Stables' Volcat struck the front on the far turn of Saturday evening's Grade 3, $150,000 Virginia Oaks and kept on determinedly for the duration to earn her first stakes victory. The Ken McPeek trainee held the persistent Filare l'Oro safe by a half-length, completing 1 1/8 miles on the yielding turf course in 1:52.
Sassy City, New England's champion older mare in 2011, was named the 2011 James B. Moseley Horse of the Year by the New England Turf Writers Association at its 70th annual awards dinner held July 20.
Volcat found the deep going at Colonial Downs to her liking when she opened up a commanding lead in the stretch and held on for a half-length victory in the $150,000 Virginia Oaks (gr. IIIT) in New Kent July 21.
Hernandez Racing Club's Illinois-bred remained perfect on Polytrack and in her 2012 season when cruising to victory over six rivals in the $150,000 Arlington Oaks (gr. III) July 21 at Arlington Park.
Running in the Godolphin blue for the first time on Saturday, the Darley-bred Questing recorded an easy 4 1/4-length score in the Grade 1, $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained miss more than doubled her career earnings to $314,874 while adding a first stakes win to her resume, which now stands at 8-3-1-1.
Royal Delta was forced to display all of the class and grit that saw her named champion three-year-old filly in 2011 on Saturday to hold off a determined Tiz Miz Sue in the Grade 2, $750,250 Delaware Handicap. The Bill Mott-trained daughter of Empire Maker took the lead entering the stretch, but had to dig deep to get the neck victory while finishing 1 1/4 miles on the fast Delaware Park track in 2:03 2/5.
Global Power made his first start at Delaware Park a memorable one as the 4-year-old son of Pulpit held off Slip and Drive and Abilio to win the Sussex Stakes July 21.
Teruya Yoshida's decision to purchase a half share in Danedream yielded an instant dividend in last term's Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and, despite reverses in the Group 1 Japan Cup and Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, the Longchamp heroine bounced back to win a thrilling renewal of Saturday's Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth at Ascot.
La Tia coasted to her third consecutive victory in as many starts this season with a wire-to-wire score in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington Oaks.
The Late Walter Haefner believed that the best fillies and mares should be tested on the track, and so it is fitting that just over a month on from his parting, the Moyglare silks are carried postward in Sunday's Group 1 Irish Oaks by a leading contender in Princess Highway.
Class Warfare, a promising colt by A.P. Indy entered in the third race July 22 at Calder Casino & Race Course, would be the first foal to race out of the two-time grade I winner Take D' Tour.
German raider Danedream showed grit and determination by nailing Nathaniel on the wire to win the $1,550,000 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Eng-I) by a nose at Ascot July 21.
Alpha, who has been targeting next Saturday's Grade 2 Jim Dandy since a fever forced him to miss the Belmont Stakes, breezed four furlongs in :49 2/5 on Saratoga's fast main track Saturday with exercise rider Robert Massey aboard.
Owner John C. Oxley's yellow and blue silks will be represented in the 45th running of the $1 million Haskell Invitational (gr. I) on July 29. What remains a question mark is which of his two candidates will carry the colors.
All-source handle for the 50-day spring/summer meet at Betfair Hollywood Park was down by about 2% over 2011 on an average daily basis, the track reported July 20.
Ceremonies ensued immediately after veteran Chicago-based jockey Jerry LaSala rode Arapaho Royal's Royal Alluvial in the 7TH race on Arlington's Million Preview Day last Saturday.
Jockey Angel Serpa will be back in action at Monmouth Park July 22 after receiving medical clearance to resume riding.
On the worktab at Churchill Downs Saturday for trainer Dale Romans was Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap winner Shackleford, who will bypass the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on August 4 to run in the seven-furlong, Grade 1 Forego on September 1. Shackleford went five furlongs in 1:01 2/5, breezing.
Pacific Ocean, front-running winner of Friday's Grade 3 James Marvin, and So Many Ways, heroine of the Grade 3 Schuylerville, came out of their races in fine fettle, their connections reported Saturday morning.
At Churchill Downs on Saturday, multiple Grade 1 star Dullahan signaled his readiness for the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational July 29 by breezing five furlongs in a bullet :59 4/5. The Dale Romans trainee registered the fastest of 15 works at the distance on the fast main track.
When Class Warfare breaks from the gate for the first time in Sunday's 3RD race at Calder, the promising son of A.P. Indy will become the first foal to start out of the mare Take D' Tour, a two-time winner of the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park who also prevailed in a pair of Calder stakes, the 2006 editions of the Grade 3 Stage Door Betty and Elmer Heubeck Distaff Handicap.
This year on opening day, Stonestreet was represented by Kauai Katie, who romped by 12 lengths at first asking in the 5TH race.
The University of Edinburgh is offering a free online equine nutrition course through coursera.org. The five-week long course will be instructed by Jo-Anne Murray, PhD, PgDip, PgCert, BSc(Hons), BHSII, RNutr, FHEA, senior lecturer in Animal Nutrition and Husbandry at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the university.
Problems with water, sound, and wi-fi, good racing, and long lines at Hattie's mark opening day at Saratoga. read blog
Editor's note: This article is part of TheHorse.com's ongoing coverage of topics presented at the 2012 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, held May 30 - June 2 in New Orleans, La.
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