Horse Racing Capsules: One More Laugh picked as favorite for Cane Pace
FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) — One More Laugh was made the morning-line favorite for the $300,000 Cane Pace on Labor Day at Freehold Raceway.
The winner of the Meadowlands Pace, One More Laugh drew the No. 1 post position and was made the 2-1 favorite for the opening leg of pacing's Triple Crown for 3-year-olds. Driver Tim Tetrick will handle the gelding.
Trainer George Teague Jr. has the second and third choices in the race on Monday. Delmarvelous drew the No. 2 post in the eight-horse field and was made the 5-2 second choice with Brian Sears listed to drive.
I'm Gorgeous was made the 4-1 third choice with driver Andy Miller. The colt, who drew the No. 4 post, matched the track record last week, winning his elimination in 1:50.4.
Rockin Image drew post No. 5 for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Jimmy Takter, who will be looking for his second straight win in the Cane Pace. He won last year with Vintage Master. The last trainer to win consecutive Cane paces was Ken Seeber in 1989-1990 with Dancing Master and Jake And Elwood.
If Takter does win the Cane Pace, it would give him a sweep of the year's first three Triple Crown races. He won the Yonkers Trot with On The Tab and the Hambletonian with Muscle Massive.
Ron Pierce will handle Woodstock from post No. 7. The colt was a strong second despite racing on the outside last week for trainer Noel Daley. Pierce will be going for his fifth Cane Pace victory.
Filling out the field are Urgent Action, Valentino and BG's Folly, the New Jersey Classic winner. Urgent Action was the fifth and final qualifier in last week's elimination.
Valentino will be handled by George Brennan, who is coming off his first driving title at the Meadowlands. The colt is trained by Lou Pena, who also coming off his initial title at the Big M.
The Little Brown Jug on Sept. 23 and the Messenger Stakes on Nov. 6 are the other two races in pacing's Triple Crown.
Queen of the Creek, Awesome Maria win at Saratoga
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Queen of the Creek and Awesome Maria won 1-mile divisions of the Riskaverse Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf at Saratoga Race Course on Thursday.
Queen of the Creek, ridden by Julien Leparoux and trained by Tom Proctor, led from the start and won by 3½ lengths with a time of 1:33.94. She paid $10.40, $4.90 and $4.40, and earned $42,000 for owners Timothy B. Turney and Nathan Tinker.
Ultimate Class was second and returned $18.80 and $10.60, and Kittylicious finished third and paid $8.60.
Awesome Maria, trained by Tiodd Pletcher, was idle since a narrow defeat in the Grade 1 Frizette Sakes at Belmont Park last October. She took a narrow lead inside the 1-16th pole and beat Snow Top Mountain by a half-length. She ran the distance in 1:35.06 in her turf debut and paid $4.70, $2.90 and $2.60. Awesome Maria earned $42,000 for her owner, the E. Paul Robsham Stable.
Snow Top Mountain paid $3.40 and $2.60 for second, and In Te Domine paid $4.60 in third.
Santa Anita moves its fall meet to Hollywood Park
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Hollywood Park will host the Oak Tree meet traditionally run at Santa Anita beginning Sept. 30.
The Oak Tree Racing Association decided to move from its home since 1969 in Arcadia across town to Hollywood Park because of uncertainty about the condition of the main track at Santa Anita.
The 42nd Oak Tree meet will run through Oct. 31 in Inglewood. Hollywood Park's autumn meet will open Nov. 4.
The highlight of the Oak Tree meet is expected to be undefeated Zenyatta making her 19th career start at her home track.
The 1 1-16-mile race Oct. 2 has been restored to its original name, the $250,000 Lady's Secret Stakes. It was scheduled to be named the Zenyatta Stakes for the first time this year, but she returned to racing after her owners changed their mind about retiring the 6-year-old mare.
Zenyatta has already won the Grade 1 Lady's Secret twice.
