In three decades as a trainer, Colum O'Brien hasn't posted a high percentage of wins from starts. But he can be counted on to come alive at Saratoga and this year is no exception, as witnessed when George Santangelo's Wedding in Merano crossed under the wire first in Wednesday's sixth race at the Spa. Even with hot jockey Javier Castellano aboard, the 3-year-old homebred filly still paid $17.60 in winning her fifth career start off four third-place finishes. Castellano got her involved soon after a sluggish beginning and she responded to his urgings to get the lead at the 11th hour and win by three-quarters of a length in this maiden special weight sprint for statebred stock.
There's no such thing as a sure thing at the racetrack, but an Eddie Kenneally first-time starter with a claiming tag has proven over time to be a good thing, and Sunday's fourth race at Saratoga filled the bill. He sent out Avalon Farm's Professor Fate, along with Castellano, and they closed on the outside to score by two lengths. The 2-year-old colt by Lion Heart paid $14.60 to win and went unclaimed.
Kiaran McLaughlin wasn't represented in Sunday's Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, but he did knock out three wins in other races on the card. The skein started in the third race when Darley Stable's Cornerstone circled the field under Channing Hill to win a second-level allowance race at an $8.80 win mutuel. Then, Mrs. Fitriani Hay's Breathless Storm took the Jersey Derby on the grass as the heavy favorite with Paco Lopez in the saddle, returning $4.60 to win. He closed out the card with Hay's Mata Keranjang in the 14th race, as that gelding also got through his second allowance condition, scoring by just over a length with the aid of Elvis Trujillo. The win price was $5.40.
Eric Fein's Sammzilla responded to not having to ship by winning the fourth race at Monmouth Park last Monday. Trainer Derek Ryan found a spot in a beaten claimer at the $10,000 claiming level where the 3-year-old filly is stabled and she came home almost three lengths in front with Hiroki Goto in the irons. Sammzilla returned $14.40 to win.
James Graham had three wins in the saddle at Arlington on Saturday. The Dubliner rode Take Charge Indy, a first-time starter, to victory in the second race, returning $8.40 to win. He was right back in the third race aboard Sea Level Drive in a 12-length laugher that was good for a $9.20 win mutuel. Then he scored by five lengths in the ninth race with Cougar Cruise, which paid $8.00 to win.
Gerard Butler also got another win at Arlington with Michael Deegan's Maristar, which took Saturday's sixth race, a third-level allowance race at nine furlongs on the main track. The 4-year-old filly is now 2-for-2 over Arlington's synthetic surface. She paid $3.40 to win.
Eoin Harty was a winner in Saturday's third race at Del Mar when the wire came up just in time for South Elkhorn Stable's Screaming Destiny. The 4-year-old gelding, ridden by Garrett Gomez, brought a 4-length lead into the lane and lasted to break his maiden by a neck. He paid a juicy $26.60 to win in his eighth trip to the post.
Cathal Lynch's Wiki got some class relief in Tuesday's fourth race at Philadelphia Park. His owner-trainer slotted the 4-year-old gelding in among a starter allowance field on the dirt off two in-the-money finishes on the turf against first-level open allowance types. Wiki and Oliver Castillo put this race away on the far turn and hit the wire three lengths in front. The win price came back $4.20.
