Opening day Friday at Keeneland was highlighted by the $100,000 Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes. 5-2 favorite, Todd Pletcher trained Jack Milton earned his first graded stakes score and his second victory in his last three starts by a neck over 9-2 second choice Up With the Birds.
Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California was a buy place on Saturday. The $150,000 Grade 2 Potrero Grande Stakes was just one of the graded stakes races on the packed card.
The $150,000 Grade 2 Ruffian Handicap for fillies and mares kicked off a very busy day at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday.
The $250,000 Grade 2 Gazelle Stakes was contested during a very busy day at Aqueduct on Saturday. Juddmonte Farms' 6-5 favorite Close Hatches recorded her first graded stakes win by 3 1/4 lengths and in turn earned 100 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks next month.
Keeneland hosted the $500,000 Grade 1 Ashland Stakes for three year old fillies Saturday. It was Emollient who finished a staggering 30 lengths behind Dreaming of Julia in last week's Gulfstream Park Oaks that recorded the victory by a relatively easy nine lengths over the field of 12 others - at 6-1 odds.
Santa Anita Park hosted two Grade 1 races on Saturday - one being the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks - a qualifying race for next month's Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
The seven furlong $250,000 Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes took place Saturday on the Wood Memorial undercard. Sixth choice in the field of seven, Declan's Warrior utilized a late run to record the upset win by a head at 12-1 odds.
The competitive seven furlong Grade 1 Carter Handicap took place Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York.
The Grade 2 Providencia Stakes was contested at Santa Anita Park on Saturday for three year old fillies willing to go 1 1/8 miles on turf.
The $750,000 Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby was contested in Arcadia, California Saturday - the West Coast qualifying race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
