Horse Racing News on August 20, 2011

Summer Soiree came west in pursuit of a first grade I victory and the front-running favorite had just enough left in the final jumps to nip a fast-closing Star Billing and Nereid in the the $250,000 Del Mar Oaks Aug. 20.

Another showdown between Blind Luck and Havre de Grace will likely have to wait for another day, as Rick Porter said Aug. 19 that Havre de Grace is headed to face males in the $750,000 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 3 at Saratoga.

Blind Luck will not be sent to New York or New Jersey for a major stakes next weekend, and her participation in the $1 million Pacific Classic next Sunday is not a certainty, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said on Saturday.

Though he has gone winless with his first 21 mounts at this meet, jockey Jesus Castanon still had plenty to smile about Saturday morning at Saratoga. And it wasn't just because of the glorious weather.

Mizdirection's front-running win in Friday's $90,285 Sandy Blue Handicap at Del Mar was a milestone first stakes win for the filly and one of her co-owners.

Tajaaweed has been disqualified from his first-place finish in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap on July 9 because a laboratory test revealed the presence of the bronchodilator clenbuterol in a urine sample.

Frank Calabrese's Where's Sterling wore down Southern Ridge in mid-stretch and went on to record his first added-money win Aug. 20 in the Grade 3, $252,500 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Royal Delta easily avenged her third-place finish behind It's Tricky and Plum Pretty four weeks earlier in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks with a convincing 5 1/2-length victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Alabama.

Under Javier Santiago, Eve Giselle prevailed in a time of 1:08 4/5 for six furlongs over a fast track and returned $4.40, $3.40 and $2.20 as the 6-5 favorite.