Dance With Fate rallies to win the Blue Grass Stakes
Dance with Fate had to pass nearly all his rivals in the final three eighths as he rolled down the stretch to win the $750,000 Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday. Sent off at odds of 6/1, The California shipper from the Peter Eurton barn was tenth early on Pablo Del Monte went out to set the pace with favored Bobby’s Kitten following him for much of the early going. The pace was honest and Pablo Del Monte and Bobby’s Kitten brought the field into the stretch, but the Dance with Fate and Medal Count both came flying up with wide rallies. Those two blasted to the lead at the eighth pole and Dance With Fate and Corey Nakatani edged clear in the final sixteenth to win by a length and three quarters over Medal Count. Pablo Del Monte was third, over five lengths clear of Big Bazinga who ran fourth.
Hard Not To Like came roaring down the lane to get up and win the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes over Keeneland turf. Sent off at a juicy 13/1 odds, Hard Not To Like went to the back half of the field as Cloud Scapes and Discreet Marq (BetPTC.com Top Selection) went out to the early lead. Discreet Marq and Centre Court came up to get the lead at the top of the stretch, but plenty of challengers came up to them as a line of horses came to the wire together, with Hard Not To Like rallying between horses to get up for the win. Discreet Marq held on for second, a nose in front of Abaco (BetPTC.com 3rd Selection) who got third at odds of 24/1. Judy the Beauty (BetPTC.com Top Selection) dominated as the prohibitive favorite in the Madison Stakes. Judy The Beauty rallied from mid-pack to get up and win by two and one half lengths over Better Lucky and Apropos (BetPTC.com Longshot) who ran second and third.
In the Shakertown Stakes it was bombs away as the two longest shots on the board ran 1-2 as Marchman went all the way on the lead at 23/1 and held off a late closing run from 33/1 Positive Side who came up just a neck short in the end as the exacta paid $1,202! Occasional View (BetPTC.com Top Selection) scored a nice 6/1 win in the Commonwealth Stakes overcoming a wide journey under jockey Alan Garcia. Occasional View had to circle the field going six wide but his momentum propelled him past Dimension who was a front runner the entire way until the final sixteenth and held to finish second.
Danza pulls a shocker winning the Arkansas Derby
Danza and Joe Bravo rode the rail to a huge victory in the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby on Saturday at Oaklawn. Sent off at huge odds of 41/1, Danza sat just behind the early leaders Bayern (3rd Selection) and Thundergram who went out to set the early fractions. Those two led to the far turn as Tapiture (BetPTC.com Top Selection) started to unleash his move and looked to be in with a big shot at the quarter pole. But the seas parted down on the rail and Joe Bravo came bursting through with Danza to get up and grab the lead. Down the lane Danza just continued to pull away, winning by almost five lengths in the end. Ride on Curlin (BetPTC.com Longshot) came flying down the center of the track to get up for second while Bayern ran third. In the Oaklawn Handicap it was the always awesome Will Take Charge (BetPTC.com Top Selection) who rolled down the center of the track to win the Grade 2 event by three quarters of a length over a very tough Revolutionary (BetPTC.com 2nd Selection).
The Instant Racing Stakes saw an upset when Street Story (BetPTC.com Longshot) got up late to upset favored Jojo Warrior. Sent off at odds of 14/1, Street Story rallied from off the pace and passed Adrianne G (BetPTC.com Top Selection) who led to the final sixteenth. Street Story was able to hold off Jojo Warrior (BetPTC.com 3rd Selection) who ended up second, ahead of Adrianne G who was third. Sweetmarys Success (BetPTC.com 2nd Selection) completed the BetPTC.com Superfecta that paid $408.80 for a buck. Bourbonize (BetPTC.com Top Selection) rallied late to get up in the final yards to win the Northern Spur Stakes at odds of 6/1. Fabulous Kid (BetPTC.com Longshot) led to mid-stretch but was inhaled by Bourbonize as well as Knock Em Flat (BetPTC.com 3rd Selection) who ran second. Fabulous Kid held third while Six Spot (BetPTC.com 2nd Selection) completed a BetPTC.com Superfecta that paid $789.60 for a buck.