Horse Racing News on August 16, 2014

Lightly regarded Personal Diary took advantage of a hot pace with a sharp last-to-first move under Corey Nakatani to post a 9-1 surprise in the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks Aug. 23 on the Del Mar turf.

Rustlewood Farm's homebred Prudhoe Bay repelled a game bid from 6-5 choice Favorite Tale and won the $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes Aug. 17 at Monmouth Park.

Few knew the story of Hardest Core, who scratched from the $400,000 American St. Leger at Arlington International Racecourse to run in the Arlington Million.

Even-money choice Stopchargingmaria, always prominent for jockey John Velazquez, prevailed in the $600,000 Alabama Stakes for her second top-level win in a row at the Saratoga Race Course meet Aug. 16.

Euro Charline, a stakes winner at Ascot three weeks ago, soared through the stretch under a well-timed ride by Ryan Moore to upset the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes in her U.S. debut Aug. 16 at Arlington International Racecourse.

Belmont Derby runner-up Adelaide charged down the center of the turf course at Arlington International Racecourse and edged away to a determined victory in the $500,000 Secretariat Stakes Aug. 16 as the even-money favorite.

Making his stakes debut, Karibu Gardens outlasted a strong field to capture the $186,436 Sky Classic Stakes over the Woodbine lawn Aug. 16.

Trainer Charlie LoPresti was still mulling over comeback options for Wise Dan but seemed more inclined toward deciding after sending the two-time Horse of the Year through his third dirt work at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 16.

A half-sister to Royal Delta, Crown Queen made her stakes debut a winning one in Saturday's Grade 2, $285,000 Lake Placid at Saratoga, rallying determinedly in deep stretch to score by three-quarters of a length.