Horse Racing Capsules: Quality Road cruises to victory in Woodward
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Heavily favored Quality Road drew away in the stretch and cruised to a 4¾-length victory in the $750,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.
The Todd Pletcher-trained Quality Road, a 3-10 favorite ridden by John Velazquez, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 and earned $450,000 for owner Edward P. Evans.
Quality Road paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10. Runner-up Mythical Power returned $5.90 and $4.40 and Tranquil Manner earned $4.60 to show.
The Woodward was Quality Road’s fourth win in five starts this season, third in a Grade 1 race, and follows a narrow defeat at the hands of Blame, who was not in the Woodward’s field of seven, in the Whitney Invitational at Saratoga on Aug. 7.
“This is the race we expected,” Pletcher said. “He has proven before he is a top class horse and he proved it again today. It went exactly like we talked about in the paddock. I have total confidence in John if he needed to call an audible, he has always got that backing from me. But it is nice when Plan A works.”
Earlier at Saratoga, Here Comes Ben and rider Alex Solis rallied in the stretch and overtook Big Drama in the closing strides to score an upset in the $250,000 Forego Stakes and earn $150,000 for owners Marianne and Brandon Chase.
The Charles Lopresti-trained 4-year-old ran 7 furlongs in 1:22.50 for his first Grade 1 victory. He paid $21.80, $8.50 and $3.70. Big Drama earned $6.70 and $3.30 and Vineyard Haven returned $2.20 to show.
Tell a Kelly wins Darley Debutante at Del Mar
DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — Tell a Kelly rallied from last in the early going to win Saturday's $250,000 Darley Debutante for 2-year-old fillies by 4½ lengths at Del Mar.
Ridden by Alonso Quinonez, Tell a Kelly covered seven furlongs in 1:23.05 and paid $11.20, $5.60 and $3.60.
Wickedly Perfect returned $4.40 and $3.20 as the 5-2 favorite, while 30-1 shot Rigoletta was another 2¼ lengths back in third and paid $9.20 to show.
The victory, worth $150,000, increased Tell a Kelly's career earnings to $181,000, with two wins in three starts for trainer John Sadler.
He said Tell a Kelly would be pointed toward the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Churchill Downs. She is owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash, who won the $1 million Arkansas Derby with Line of David in April.
In the $83,325 Windy Sands Stakes for older horses, Tropic Storm led all the way to win by 2¼ lengths under jockey David Flores.
Tropic Storm ran a mile in 1:35.64 and paid $8.60 to win.
Red Door Drive was second and Unusual Suspect third.
Madman Diaries wins Sapling Stakes
OCEANPORT, N.J. — Madman Diaries held off Vengeful Wildcat in the deep stretch to win the $150,000 Sapling Stakes by a half-length on Saturday at Monmouth Park.
Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Jeffrey Sanchez, the 2-year-old gelding led most of the way and covered the six furlongs on a fast track in 1:11 3-5 and paid $13.60, $6.80 and $5.60. The win in the Grade III stakes boosted his career earnings to $247,822.
Vengeful Wildcat paid $4.20 and $3.20, while Chipshot was a neck back in third and returned $4.40.
In the co-feature, Grecian Maiden held off Profiteroles in the closing strides to win by a nose in the $100,000 Twin Lights Stakes.
Ridden by Julian Pimentel and trained by Michael Trombetta, the 3-year-old filly ran the 1 1-8 miles over a firm turf course in 1:48 1-5 and paid $21.40, $10.40 and $6.80. Profiteroles returned $6.40 and $4.20, while Bet on the Blue was 1½ lengths back in third and paid $5.20.
Desormeaux off mounts with hairline fracture
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Jockey Kent Desormeaux has a hairline fracture of a vertebra in his neck and is off his mounts at Saratoga Race Course.
Desormeaux was consulting with doctors on Saturday, a day after he was thrown in Friday's second race when 2-year-old Forest Whip suffered a fatal heart attack in the stretch.
Desormeaux walked without assistance to an ambulance after the fall and was fitted with a neck brace at Saratoga Hospital.
Desormeaux was seventh in the jockey standings after riding 17 winners at the meeting, which concludes on Monday.
Joe De Fino wins $108,300 Babic Pace at Freehold
FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) — Joe De Fino held off a stretch challenge from Howard's Rock to win the $108,300 Lou Babic Memorial Pace at Freehold Raceway on Saturday.
Driven by Yannick Gingras, Joe De Fino paced the mile for New Jersey-sired 2-year-old colts in 1:55.3. The Jimmy Takter-trained son of Western Ideal paid $4.40, $2.80 and $2.10 in winning for the third time in five career starts.
Howard's Rock paid $5.40 and $4.60, while Gritty Millie Boy finished third and paid $2.80 for show.
