For ladies weekend in horse racing, fillies beat males in 2 big races
· UPIAug. 17 (UPI) -- It was ladies weekend in North American racing, as fillies beat the boys in Saturday's premier events at Saratoga and Woodbine and Sweet Azteca continued her remarkable run of achievements in California.
On the global scene, The Aga Khan Studs had a wonderful day at Deauville with the promise of more to come.
Classic
Luster had no problem winning last month's Woodbine Oaks by 5 1/2 lengths and did even better against the boys in Saturday's $1 million (Canadian) King's Plate at Woodbine.
The Knicks Go filly, with John Velazquez aboard, saved ground behind the leading trio through the backstretch run in the 1 1/4-mile trip on the all-weather surface. She challenged for the lead entering the stretch, and no one could go with her as she won off by 7 1/4 lengths over a pair of longshots.
Luster, trained by Josie Carroll for Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen, now has five wins from six outings. She added the win against male competition to her Grade III victory in the Selene Stakes on June 27. Meanwhile, Carroll credited Velazquez' cool ride.
The race is the first in the Canadian Triple Crown series, to be followed by the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on Sept. 7 and the Breeders' Stakes on the Woodbine turf Sept. 27. Wando, in 2003, was the last horse to sweep the series.
At Monmouth Park, Bishops Bay and Chunk of Gold duked it out through the stretch run of Saturday's $150,000 Grade III Philip H. Iselin Stakes with Bishops Bay finishing first by a neck.
Bartlet led throughout Friday's $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup at Penn National by a neck from Spellcast.
Turf / filly & mare turf
Survie handed her male competition a thorough beating in Saturday's $750,000 Grade I Christophe Clement Stakes at Saratoga and did it against conditions that all current horse racing "wisdom" would have ruled it impossible.
The 5-year-old Churchill mare was running on two weeks' rest after winning the Grade II Glens Falls Stakes, also at the Spa. The British-trained mare faced some of the toughest U.S. male grass runners. And, she fell to last as the race developed at an absolute crawl over yielding turf.
Yet, Manny Franco brought Survie back to the winner's circle after a remarkable turn of foot carried her home first by 3/4 length over Minaret Station, with Program Trading third and the other European, Ancient Egypt, fourth.
Adrian Walace, representing the Coolmore owners, said the plan is to make full use of the "Win and You're In" bid in the Breeders' Cup Turf that came with the Clement win.
Also on the course they can eat: Proctor Street outfinished Eponine by a neck in Saturday's $200,000 (Canadian) Grade II Canadian Stakes at Woodbine, with pacesetter Lupa fading to finish third. And Vronti won Saturday's $100,000 CTT and TOC Stakes at Del Mar by 1 length from The Mizzen Queen.
Turf mile
Gas Me Up defended his title in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II bet365 King Edward Stakes at Woodbine, edging Piper's Factor by a nose. Irish Aces was another nose back in third in the official photo.
Gas Me Up, a 6-year-old Hard Spun gelding trained by Kevin Attard, went from last year's King Edward to finish third in the Grade I Woodbine Mile and seventh in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar.
Fibonicacci's Ride took advantage of a speed duel to score an off-the-pace upset win in Saturday's $150,000 Solana Beach Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at Del Mar.
Turf sprint
Stradale pressed the pace in Sunday's $225,000 Grade III Mahoney Stakes for 3-year olds at Saratoga, disposed of the longshot leader with ease to gain the lead and held off Oscar's Hope to win by a head. The favorite, Outfielder, finished a decent fourth in his first start since Royal Ascot.
Cadenza was last away in Saturday's $200,000 Galway Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga, rallied outside rivals to get the lead with a furlong to run and kept going to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Epic Lady Luck. The favorite, Oscar's Encore, finished seventh.
On Sunday at Woodbine, 9-year-old Artemus Citylimits won the $150,000 (Canadian) Vice Regent Stakes for Ontario-breds by 1 3/4 lengths.
Sprint
On Saturday at Woodbine, Souped Up pressed the pace made by Western Whirl in the $175,000 (Canadian) Grade III Bold Venture, caught that horse in the final strides and won by a head. The 6-year-old Souper Speedy gelding was fifth in the Pink Lloyd Stakes in his previous start.
Filly & mare sprint
Sweet Azteca doesn't run often. But when she does, she likes to win in bunches of three.
Last month, the 6-year-old Sharp Azteca mare won the Grade II Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos for the third year-in a row. On Sunday, she romped home first by 4 3/4 lengths in the Grade III Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar -- the third straight year she has won that race.
Overall, she improved her record to nine wins from 11 starts. She won the Rancho Bernardo with a pace-stalking trip, finishing 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.51, with Juan Hernandez up for trainer Richard Baltas.
"Richie told me to ride with confidence and I did," Hernandez said. "When we hit the three-eighths, I asked my filly to go and she did. And she went on with it from there." Added Baltas: "I'm glad it's over."
Kerry's Kiss got an uncontested lead in Saturday's $100,000 Sheer Drama Handicap at Gulfstream Park and rolled home a 1 1/2-length winner over the favorite, Indy Bay.
Juvenile
Dial It Down won Saturday's $100,000 Prairie Meadows Freshman Stakes by 1 length over the favorite, Dormie. The Iowa-bred Dialed In gelding ran 6 furlongs in 1:10.19.
Juvenile fillies
De La Renta continued the weekend theme of girls beating boys as she carried the day in Saturday's $150,000 (Canadian) Soaring Free at Woodbine. The Oscar Performance filly, trained by Kevin Attard, was just up to win by a head for her second win in as many starts.
Meloni, also trained by Attard, won the companion $150,000 (Canadian) Catch a Glimpse Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. The American Pharoah miss rallied from last of nine, but won by 3 1/2 lengths.
Around the world, around the clock
France
Rayif rallied to a late-running victory in Sunday's €1 million Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville, returning to the form that saw him win the Group 1 Prix d'Essai des Poulains or French Guineas earlier in the year.
And he did it against a field of international stars with Zeus Olympios relegated to second, albeit by just a neck, and Precise to third. Japanese invaders Straus and Sixpence finishing ninth and 10th, respectively.
The race was sponsored by the winner's owner, The Aga Khan Studs, and trainer Francis Graffard was high on both the race and Rayif, a son of German Derby winner Sea the Moon.
"The Jacques le Marois is a very famous race, probably the second-most famous race in France after the Arc, so it's a wonderful one to win," Racing Post quoted Graffard as saying.
On the undercard, Avec Toi, a Coolmore-owned No Nay Never colt trained by Christopher Head, ran away with the Group 3 Prix Francois Boutin.
He remains undefeated and largely unchallenged after three starts and Head said he could target the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardare on Arc day Oct. 4. Beyond that, he added, according to Racing Post, "The Breeders' Cup is another option later in the year. ... He can go anywhere, I think."