Horse Racing Capsules: Irish-bred Debussy wins Arlington Million
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) — Irish-bred Debussy won the Arlington Million on Saturday, rallying to beat 2009 champion Gio Ponti by a half-length.
Jockey William Buick steered Debussy along the rail from well back in the stretch run at Arlington Park. Debussy, owned by Darley Stud Management and trained by John Gosden, ran 1¼ miles on the turf course in 2:01.01 and paid $24, $8.20 and $5.60
"I thought, ‘Oh, no. I have so much horse, but I’m not going to have enough room," Buick said. "But then the hole opened (rail) and we got it."
Gio Ponti, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, was attempting to join John Henry (1981 and 1984) as the only two-time winner.
"I thought I had enough to hang on," said Gio Ponti’s jockey, Ramon Dominguez. "Once I got clear, the horse was idling a little bit. Maybe looking at the stands or something."
The 4-year-old Debussy has two victories in six races this year, also winning the Huxley Stakes at Chester in England in May.
"He had nowhere to go," Gosden said. "I think they just tired the last part and he dashed up the rail and done it really well. I’ve been trying to win this race for 28 years."
Gio Ponti returned $2.80 and $2.40, and Tazeez paid $4 to show.
Two other Grade I races were contested on the turf at Arlington Park.
German-bred Eclair de Lune pulled in front down the stretch drive to win the $750,000 Beverly D., with jockey Junior Alvarado on board. Hot Cha Cha was second and South African-bred Gypsy’s Warning finished third.
Paddy O’Prado, the prohibitive favorite at 1-2 odds, won the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes by 1¼ lengths over Wigmore Hall. Workin for Hops finished third.
Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Paddy O’Prado stalked in third place until the 3-16 pole, then surged past Workin for Hops.
Blind Luck wins $500,000 Alabama Stakes by a neck
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Blind Luck fought off Havre de Grace inside the sixteenth pole to win the $500,000 Alabama Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by a neck at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.
Joel Rosario rode the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained filly to victory in the 1¼-mile race, finishing in 2:03.99 to add the Grade 1 Alabama to four stakes victories this year including the Kentucky Oaks.
Also at Saratoga on Saturday, Jockey John Velazquez a five-win day.
After narrowly missing aboard his mount in the first race, Velazquez broke a pair of maidens in races 2 and 3, piloting 2-year-old Curlinello and 3-year-old We Need V L T’s to neck victories. In race 4, Velazquez rode favored Callide Valley to a 10¼-length allowance victory before completing a sweep of the early Pick 4 aboard Morning Line, who crossed the wire 11 lengths in front. Velazquez picked up a fifth winner in race 9, prevailing by a half-length atop Zapster.
Blind Luck paid $5.60, $3.80 and $3.60. Havre de Grace earned $6 and $5.90, and Acting Happy returned $9 to show in the six-horse field. Heavily favored Devil May Care finished fourth.
"It seems like we have the best 3-year-old filly, right now," Hollendorfer said. "I hate to make those kinds of assessments. We’ll see what she can do the rest of the year. She did all the work, and I just get to train her. I give Blind Luck all the credit. We’ve had a very consistent filly all year long. She’s real flexible and got the job done today on a slow pace. I’m very proud of her."
Rosario said the slow early pace, usually a detriment to a late-running horse, was of no concern.
"I was expecting a pretty slow pace," he said, "but I sat in behind them and watched. I stayed back, and when I got to the quarter pole I was very confident. I knew I’d get there."
The California-based Blind Luck earned $300,000, pushing her 2010 earnings past $1 million for owners Mark Dedomenico, Mark Carver and Hollendorfer.
Evening Jewel wins Del Mar Oaks
DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — Happy to have top-ranked 3-year-old filly Blind Luck running on the opposite coast instead of nipping her at the finish line, Evening Jewel held off a late charge from Harmonious to win the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Evening Jewel sat third in a field of 10 for most of the Grade 1 stakes for 3-year-old fillies, cut inside to the rail and took the lead coming out of the second turn and hung on for the half-length victory over Mike Smith and Harmonious, covering 1 1-8 miles on the turf course in 1:47.27.
"She’s not that big but she’s perfectly balanced. Just right. She shifts spots and she’s easy to handle," Espinoza said. "I had to drop her down inside today, but it was no problem."
Twice this year, Blind Luck has rallied to beat Evening Jewel by a nose in the final yards, first in February in the Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita, then in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in April.
But on Saturday, Blind Luck was 3,000 miles away, winning the $500,000 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in New York state.
Evening Jewel paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.20. Harmonious returned $3.20 and $2.60, and Perfect Shirl paid $3.20 to show.
Trained by Jim Cassidy, who won the Del Mar Oaks for the second time, Evening Jewel has won six times and run second five times in 12 career starts. She earned $180,000 Saturday, taking her lifetime total to $876,943.
Borel guides Atta Boy Roy to Remington Park win
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Atta Boy Roy led most of the way under jockey Calvin Borel and won the $200,000 Remington Park Sprint Cup on Saturday night.
The 5-year-old Washington-bred son of Tribunal went off at 1-5 odds in the six-furlong race and didn’t disappoint, beating Wando Redd by 5½ lengths with Greeley’s Conquest third. Atta Boy Roy won in 1:09.29 on a fast track.
Atta Boy Roy’s trainer, Valorie Lund, says the horse is being pointed toward the Breeders’ Cup. Borel, the winning jockey in the Kentucky Derby three of the last four years, has ridden Atta Boy Roy to two wins and two second-place finishes in four starts aboard the horse.
Atta Boy Roy, which is owned by Roy Schaefer of Port Orchard, Wash., paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10. Wando Redd paid $8.40 and $4.20 while Greeley’s Conquest paid $3.
In the $150,000 Governor’s Cup, Shadowbdancing held off Kick On by a half-length, with defending champion Going Ballistic third. Shadowbdancing, a 5-year-old Florida-bred son of Montbrook, went off at 2-1 odds and covered the 1 1-16 miles under jockey Eusebio Razo Jr. in 1:43.78. Shadowbdancing is trained by Terrel Gore and owned by RNB Racing of Yukon.
Duke of Mischief wins Iselin Stakes
OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) — Duke of Mischief won the $300,000 Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, beating Redding Colliery by 2¼ lengths.
Ridden by Eibar Coa and trained by David Fawkes, the 4-year-old colt ran 1 1-8 miles on a fast track in 1:51 and returned $34.60, $8.20 and $3.40. The win in the Grade 3 stakes was his sixth career victory and boosted his earnings to $910,642.
Redding Colliery returned $3.20 and $2.20, and I Want Revenge paid $2.20.
On the undercard, Tottie overtook the favored Speak Easy Gal in the closing strides to win the $100,000 Omnibus Stakes by a neck.
Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Alan Garcia, Tottie ran 1 3-8 miles over a firm turf course in 2:15 and paid $5, $2.60 and $2.20. Speak Easy Girl returned $2.80 and $2.40, while Tarip was another 1½ lengths back in third and paid $3.40.
It was the fifth win in 16 career starts for the 4-year-old filly, who has now earned $225,834.
