Melatonin fights to Gold Cup victory

Arcadia, CA

Melatonin proved best with a stylish win in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita and punched a ticket to the Breeders' Cup.

The race favorite ran to his odds in Saturday's $500K feature race.

Jockey Joe Talamo held the favorite in check through soft opening fractions of :23 and :47, sitting just off the lead in second, before making his move. 

Talamo asked Melatonin for run around the far turn. The Big Cap winner responded and fought through the lane to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths over Win the Space.

The 24/1 longshot ran a credible second place finish under rider Gary Stevens. Win the Space sat behind the favorite throughout the race, but just couldn't match him down the stretch when asked.

Hard Aces rounded out the trifecta, finishing almost another length back in third. 

Melatonin was impressive with the determination shown in victory. He returned $5.60 to win.  

Trained by David Hofmans, Melatonin ran the 1 1/4 mile race in a solid 1:59. 

The Gold Cup victory has given him a fees-paid berth to the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 5.

Songbird heading east for summer

Arcadia, CA 

Champion filly Songbird will ship east and spend the summer away from her Santa Anita home. According to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer the champ will be pointing towards Grade I races at Saratoga and Parx in July and August. Songbird was an easy winner in the Grade II Summertime Oaks last time out in Arcadia, after battling a fever in mid-April. She remains undefeated with eight straight victories and has earned over $2 million. The $300K American Oaks at Saratoga on July 24 is the expected next start under regular Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith.

Exaggerator blasts to victory in Preakness

Baltimore, MD

Exaggerator flipped the script and finally defeated his rival Nyquist en route to a convincing win in the 141st Preakness Stakes at Pmilico Race Course. 

The 3-year-old colt relished the sloppy track and contested pace, rallying from a distant 8th to a clear 3 1/2 length victory.

For the first time in five races Jockey Kent Desormeaux angled Exaggerator out 6-wide to take the lead for good over the favorite at the top of the lane and never looked back.

Nyquist, Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, ran a gutty race finishing in third, and a nose out of second place. The champion just couldn't keep the quick pace going after setting fast opening fractions of :22 and :46 for the 1 3/16 mile distance. This was his first career defeat. 

Cherry Wine, also benefited from the hot pace, came into the picture late to snatch the second spot right at the wire and complete the exacta. 

Exaggerator returned $7.20 to win and ran the 2O16 Preakness Stakes in a final time of 1:58.

The battle will continue in New York at Belmont Park. The third jewel in the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes set to run June 11.    

Go Maggie Go cruises in Black-Eyed Susan

Baltimore, MD

Improving Go Maggie Go cruised home to victory in the Grade II Black-Eyed Susan Stakes Friday evening at Pimlico Race Course.

The 3-year-old filly overcame a bobbled break to take the $250K stakes by a comfortable 2 1/2 lengths over longshot Ma Can Do It.

Go Maggie Go proved she can handle the 1 1/18 mile distance and trainer Dale Romans was impressed with his filly's performance. She completed the event in a final time of 1:51 under brisk urging down the lane.

Kinsely Kisses held the lead for most of the race, but weakened to finish third in a blanket finish for the exotics.

Go Maggie Go returned $5.60 to win. She is a horse to mark down for future reference, as now has three wins in four career starts along with a solid pedigree to be a future star.

Nyquist powers home, takes kentucky derby

Louisville, KY

Nyquist continued his dominance over the competition and his unblemished record after defeating 19 rivals en route to a powerful victory in the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby Saturday in Louisville.

The undefeated champion had the perfect trip under jockey Mario Gutierrez, sitting just off a hot early pace set by Danzing Candy, and took command around the turn, before kicking clear to a 1 1/4 length victory in the $2 million Run for the Roses.

Nyquist, the Derby favorite, was never really threatened until the final 1/8 when Exaggerator was cutting into his lead, but the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner had already done the heavy lifting and was getting ready for another trip to the winner's circle.

The champ returned $6.60 to win and finished the 1 1/4 mile race in a solid final time of 2:01.

Exaggerator knifed through traffic at the 1/4 pole and showed his powerful late kick finishing in second place, while Gun Runner grudgingly tired to third after having a share of the lead turning for home.

This was trainer Doug O'Neill's second Kentucky Derby victory, along with Gutierrez. The California connections brought the roses back home in 2012 with I'll Have Another.

This marked the third straight Derby victory for horses based in California, following California Chrome and American Pharoah. 

Nyquist will look to extend his unbeaten streak to nine next time out in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico May 21.