D. Wayne Lukas' death overshadows a big weekend of horse racing
June 30 (UPI) -- News that legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas died peacefully Saturday at age 89 after a career of personal accomplishment and devotion to the industry overshadowed a jam-packed weekend of Thoroughbred racing.
Lukas had been active through much of this year, but declined aggressive treatment for a serious medical problem stemming from a MRSA blood infection and elected to spend his final few days at home.
We play on, minus The Coach.
Breeders' Cup slots were decided at Churchill Down and in Uruguay. Thorpedo Anna resumed her domination of any and all rivals. On the global front, it was Irish Derby weekend at the Curragh or, as it might better be called, Aidan O'Brien weekend. Ditto Bob Baffert weekend at Los Alamitos.
Let's go.
Classic / Dirt Mile
Several of the best older dirt runners currently in training lined up in Saturday's $1 million Grade I Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs. The punters correctly made four of the six roughly equal, and those contenders finished 1-2-3-4, starting with the favorite, Mindframe.
Winner of the Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes at 7 furlongs in his last start, Mindframe allowed Grade II Oaklawn Handicap winner First Mission to make the early going, blew by that one in the lane and ran on to win by 1 length.
Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone got by First Mission to finish second, with 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan fourth.
"This was a really good field today and I'm really proud the way that he finished to hold off some of the best horses in the country right now," Ortiz said.
The race was a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Out West, trainer Bob Baffert not only won the $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby for the ninth straight year, but also saddled the exacta. The closest of the two other competitors was 12 1/2 lengths back of the Baffert duo of odds-on favorite Nevada Beach and Varney.
Varney set the early pace and turned it over to his stablemate in the lane, who won by 4 1/4 lengths. Nevada Beach, by Omaha Beach, now has two wins and a second. Baffert now has 15 overall wins in the race.
"Those are two really nice horses," he said.
Elsewhere: Mansetti won Saturday's $175,000 (Canadian) HIPbet Marine Stakes for 3-year-olds at Woodbine; Post Time took Saturday's $125,000 Deputed Testamoney at Laurel Park; Funtastic Again won Saturday's $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Dominion Day Stakes at Woofbine; and Will Take It triumphed in Sunday's 1-mile, $300,000 Hanshin Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Distaff
Whatever was troubling Thorpedo Anna when she finished a dull seventh in the Grade I La Troienne on Kentucky Oaks Day was long in the past Saturday when she reappeared on the Churchill Downs track.
The 2024 Kentucky Oaks and Breeders' Cup Distaff winner and Eclipse Award Horse of the Year was in full command in the Grade I Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis, tracking the pace before taking command to win by 3 lengths, ridden out by jockey Brian Williamson Jr.
The Fleur de Lis was a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, but trainer Kenny McPeek hinted he might consider running Thorpedo Anna against males in the Breeders' Cup if she continues to carve up her female rivals.
Also: Serendipity led virtually all the way to a 2 1/2-length score in Saturday's $150,000 Grade III Selene Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the Woodbine all-weather course.
Turf
Brilliant Berti rallied from behind a glacial early pace to take the lead in the stretch run of Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Wise Dan Stakes on the Churchill Downs greensward and powered to a 3/4-length victory. Taking Candy nosed out Lagynos for second, giving trainer Cheri DeVaux the exacta.
Then, too: Wolfie's Dynaghost won Saturday's $125,000 Prince George's County at Laurel Park; Stay Hot took Saturday's $250,000 Texas Turf Classic at Lone Star Park; and Tom's Magic won Saturday's $102,000 Tale of the Cat at Monmouth Park.
Filly & Mare Turf
Neom Beach won Saturday's $125,000 Wasted Tears Stakes at Lone Star Park; Sigh No More took Sunday's $102,000 Boiling Springs for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park; and Pin Up Betty won Sunday's $175,000 Anchorage at Churchill Downs.
Turf Mile
Dream On finally won the twice-delayed $400,000 Grade III Penn Mile for 3-year-olds once Penn National got it into the starting gate Friday. After all that, the course was yielding and three of the entries were scratched. Laurelin won the companion $150,000 Penn Oaks.
Further: Lush Lips won Saturday's $250,000 Tepin Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs and Ocean Club was victorious in Saturday' $175,000 (Canadian) Grade II Nassau at Woodbine.
Turf Sprint
Patches O'Houlihan continued his dominance in Woodbine sprints with a neck victory over My Boy Prince in Saturday's $240,000 (Canadian) bet365 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine.
But the 5-year-old gelding needed all the help jockey Sofia Vives could muster as he bore out badly on the turn and just did hang onto the lead to the wire. He was removed by equine ambulance after the race with a reported "soft-tissue" injury.
Also: Usually Wrong won Saturday's $125,000 Grand Prairie Turf Sprint at Lone Star Park and Miss Code West took the companion $125,000 Chicken Fried Steaks for fillies and mares.
Sprint
Subrogate won Saturday's scratch-depleted $175,000 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park and Roll On Big Joe took Saturday's $250,000 Grade III Kelly's Landing at Churchill Downs.
Filly & Mare Sprint
St. Benedicts Prep won Saturday's $125,000 Alma North Stakes at Laurel Park and Not Too Late took Sunday's $100,000 Maryfield Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park.
Juvenile / Juvenile Fillies
Two to watch early in the 2-year-old ranks: Romeo won Sunday's $225,000 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs, leading early and then drawing off easily to win by 3 3/4 lengths. Percy's Bar drew off to win the $225,000 Debutante for 2-year-old fillies by 5 lengths.
Around the world, around the clock
Ireland
So trainer Baffert has saddled 15 winners of the Los Alamitos Derby. Impressive but still shy by two of trainer O'Brien's domination of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, as the maestro of Ballydoyle landed the Group 1 event for the 17th time Sunday.
There was so much about Lambourn's victory in the Derby, it's hard to grasp it all at once. On top, he sewed up the Derby Double, following on his triumph on the Epsom Downs. It was the sixth time O'Brien has done that, including with Australia and Galileo, who are Lambourn's sire and grandsire.
O'Brien also trained Whirl, who upset the Andrew Balding-trained favorite, Kalpana, in Saturday's Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes for fillies and mares, and Beautify upset Lady Iman in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. He also won the Barranstown Stud Irish EBF Maiden for 2-year-olds with Dorset. Ryan Moore was aboard for all those wins.
The fly in the ointment for O'Brien, the Coolmore owners and Moore was Flushing Meadows' narrow loss to Suzie Songs as a heavy favorite in the Group 3 Jebel Ali Racecourse and Stables Anglesey Stakes for 2-year-olds.
France
Calandagan powered down the straight to win Sunday's Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud by 3 1/2 lengths. The 4-year-old Gleneagles, second in two previous Group 1 events this season, saw off a quality, albeit short, field and may have earned a showdown with Lambourn in the King George on July 20 at Ascot.
Uruguay
Touch of Destiny earned a "Win and You're In" spot in November's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with a gate-to-wire victory in Sunday's Group 3 Asociacion Uruguaya de Propietarios de Caballos de Carrera at Hipodromo Maronas in Monevideo, Uruguay.
The 2-year-old (by Southern Hemisphere time) remains undefeated after six starts thanks to the 5-length triumph. He's by Midshipman, winner of the 2008 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
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