Wild Dude Rallies in the Sprint Championship

Arcadia, CA

Wild Dude rolled down the stretch in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Saturday.

The favorite Masochistic and Distinctiv Passion set the table for the closers with opening fractions of :21 and :43. As the last pair out of the gate became the top two crossing the finish line.

Wild Dude rallied past the weakening leaders in the stretch and got first run on Kobe's Back. Officially taking the Grade 1 $300,000 stakes race by a neck.

Glacken Too was third. Masochistic faded to fourth and Distinctiv Passion weakened to last.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.45.

Ridden to victory by Rafael Bejarano, Wild Dude returned $6.20 to win and is likely headed to the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

Alert Bay takes the City of Hope Mile

Arcadia, CA

Alert Bay rallied for a length victory in the $200,000 City of Hope Mile Sunday at Santa Anita.

Returning $10.80 to win over a very game second place finisher Big Cazanova at odds of 18-1.

The gelding has now won four of five starts on the Santa Anita turf course.

Avanzare, favored at odds of 8-5, finished another 1 1/2 lengths behind in third place. 

Alert Bay ran the mile on turf in 1:33.58 and was ridden to victory by jockey Martin Garcia.

Beholder continues her dominance

Arcadia, CA

At Santa Anita Park, Beholder dominated her seven rivals in the $300,000 Grade I Zenyatta Stakes on opening day of the track’s autumn meet.

Jockey Gary Stevens had her geared down in the stretch. Cruising to a 3 1/4-length victory. Beholder, the 1-9 betting favorite, stalked the pace-setting My Sweet Addiction before taking the lead around the far turn and gradually drawing away.

She ran the 1 1/16 miles distance in 1:42.83.

Next up is the Breeders' Cup Classic in November. Where she will take on Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and others at Keeneland race course.