Jockey James Graham made a successful foray to Mountaineer in West Virginia, where he won two stakes races on Saturday. He partnered Culotte ($9.40 to win) in the Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies Stakes and was up in time aboard Mystic ($8.40) in the West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker's Cup. Both races had purses of $85,000.
Robert Skelly made the most of his limited chances, riding two winners from as many mounts at Emerald Downs on Thursday. The reinsman from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary and Evelyn's Danceband prevailed by a nose over the favorite after a furious stretch run in the second race. The win price came back $16.00. He was back in the winner's circle aboard Swiss Hero after the fifth race, which was good for $5.80 at the windows.
Jockey Brian Crowley captured the daily double at Saratoga on Thursday when that oval kicked off its program with two races over the jumps. Both winners - Divine Fortune ($9.30) and Royal Rossi ($10.20) - were sent out by Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard.
Bernard MacDonald's Broken Sound is in career form, having reeled off his fourth straight win in Suffolk Downs' fourth race on Monday. Trainer Michael Collins has done no wrong with the 4-year-old gelding since he arrived from Florida in the spring. Here, he dusted a field of open claimers at the $10,000 plateau, scoring by almost two lengths under Gilbert Estrella. Collins also got third money in this race with Spurr Racing Stable's Robbie's Express. Broken Sound returned $7.60 to win.
Cathal Lynch won with his second first-time starter this summer as Gold Mark Farm's Catingua got up by a neck in the third race, a turf sprint, at Parx on Tuesday. The New York-bred 3-year-old filly was ridden by Oliver Castillo and paid $23.40 to win.
Lynch won with another Gold Mark runner, Coltraider, in Sunday's seventh race in Philadelphia. This 5-year-old horse, running first time for the Derry native, had been away from the races for over a year. He stalked and ran off in the drive to the wire under Angel Arroyo, paying $6.60 to win.
One of John Haran's Eagle Valley Farm runners, Talented Joseph, popped for a 2-length upset victory in the 10th race at Evangeline Downs on Thursday. Retired jockey Ray Sibille trains this 3-year-old homebred gelding, which began a sustained drive into the far turn and kept it going down the lane with the aid of Kirk LeBlanc. "Joe" paid $36.60 to win in this 2-turn mile against $10,000 claimers with only a maiden win on their ledgers. Haran had just shipped "Joe" south after running two duds at his Arlington base.
Another Chicagoan cashing in outside Chitown was John Wade. The Irish native shook things up with Pedrolino, his 5-year-old gelding - a new trainer, a new racetrack and a cut in claiming price added up to victory in the seventh race at Presque Isle Downs on Friday. Doug Matthews now calls the shots for Pedrolino, which was three lengths the best against $7,500 platers with fewer than four career wins. Pedrolino returned $9.40 to win and returned to Matthews' barn after the race, as he wasn't claimed.
Declan Jackson had a surprise for the fairgoers at Santa Rosa in the seventh race on Thursday, when he returned his and the Schow Family's A Pint for Mary to the races off a nearly 10-month freshening. The 5-year-old gelding, sporting a 1-for-18 career mark, came late under Kyle Frey and slugged it out to post the victory by a head. This was a claiming race at the $8,000 level for one-time winners. The win mutuel came back a robust $69.40.
