OAK TREE OPENS CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON AT SANTA ANITA  ON WEDNESDAY

(Edited Oak Tree at Santa Anita report)

ARCADIA, Calif. – Fittingly featuring 2008 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint champion Desert Code, the Grade 3, $100,000 Morvich Handicap heads Wednesday’s nine-race program that opens Oak Tree’s 31-day season at Santa Anita, one that will be highlighted by the two-day, $25.5-million Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 6 and 7.

Bob Hill
Staff writer
Tracksideview.com

Garrett Gomez ran the table at Turfway Park, winning all three races that comprise the Kentucky Cup Series when he guided Indescribable, El Brujo, and Furthest Land to victory for three different sets of owners and trainers.

(Edited Keeneland Association report)

Lexington, Ky. – A half-brother by Powerscourt (GB) to Maryland Sprint Handicap (Grade 3) winner Ravalo brought $180,000 to headline Saturday’s session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. 

Tony Lacy signed the ticket as agent for Malih Al Basti. Consigned by Heaven Trees, the colt is from the family of Hollywood Oaks (Grade 1) winner Moment to Buy.

Ashley Herriman
NYRA/Belmont Park

ELMONT, N.Y. – Indian Blessing rewarded her connections’ confidence Saturday afternoon at BelmontPark, dueling with Sara Louise down to the wire to win the 16th running of the Grade 2, $156,500 Gallant Bloom.  Notching her first victory of the year, the 4-year-old filly also earned an automatic berth in the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on November 6 at Santa Anita through the “Win and You’re In” challenge series. 

Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club

LAUREL, Md. – Hubert (Butch) Cave’s Sumacha’hot came from out of the clouds to win the $200,000 Jim McKay Maryland Million Classic. The former $5,000 claimer won $110,000 for owner/trainer Cave, who had cross-entered his star in both the Classic and the $50,000 Starter Handicap where the gelding was the 7-5 morning line favorite. Sumacha’hot nearly doubled his career earnings. He earned $113,940 during his first 19 starts.

Jenny Kellner
NYRA/Belmont Park

ELMONT, N.Y. – A trio of contenders for Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup had their final tune-ups for the 1¼-mile race on a busy morning at Belmont Park.

Belmont Stakes and Shadwell Travers winner Summer Bird, with Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard, went five furlongs in 1:02.40, while Quality Road, third in the Travers, covered the same distance in 1:01.60. Asiatic Boy, most recently fourth to Rachel Alexandra in the…

THREE DAY RUSH, PROUD ZOE TAKE NATC FUTURITY DIVISIONS

John Heims
Monmouth Park

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Front-running upsets were the order of the day at the Monmouth Park-Meridian Health Steeplechase Festival on Saturday as Tricky Me, an 8-1 chance, captured the $70,000 Metcalf  Memorial Novice Hurdle Stakes, and the 14-1 Four Schools took the $50,000 Helen Haskell Sampson Memorial Hurdle Stakes.

Michele Blanco
Calder Race Course

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.  – Rose Family Stable’s homebred 2-year-old filly Joanie’s Catch was the game winner of the $51,375 Brave Raj Stakes at Calder on Saturday for trainer Barry Rose.  Ridden by Daniel Coa, she defeated The Isabella Angel by 4½ lengths.  It was another 3 ¾ lengths back to Successful Song in third.

Michele Blanco
Calder Race Course

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – J D Farms’ homebred 2-year-old colt Bim Bam chased Jackson Bend and Mr. Green home in the first two legs of the Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder Race Course this summer, and scored his first stakes win in the Foolish Pleasure Stakes on Saturday.

(Edited Keeneland Association report)

Lexington, Ky. – A colt by Stormy Atlantic brought a final bid of $80,000 to highlight Friday’s session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the colt is out of the Holy Bull mare Emptythetill. He was purchased by Just For Fun Stables.