​Survie wins Saturday’s Grade I Christophe Clement Stakes at Saratoga. Photo by Janet Napolitano/Coglianese Photography, courtesy of NYRAAug. 17 (UPI) — It was ladies weekend in North American racing, as fillies beat the boys in Saturday’s premier events at Saratoga and Woodbine and Sweet Azteca continued her remarkable run of achievements in California.On the global scene, The Aga Khan Studs had a wonderful day at Deauville with the promise of more to come.Classic
Luster had no problem winning last month’s Woodbine Oaks by 5 1/2 lengths and did even better against the boys in Saturday’s $1 million (Canadian) King’s Plate at Woodbine.Luster wins Saturday’s King’s Plate, first leg of Canada’s Triple Crown. Photo by Michael Burns, courtesy of WoodbineThe Knicks Go filly, with John Velazquez aboard, saved ground behind the leading trio through the backstretch run in the 1 1/4-mile trip on the all-weather surface. She challenged for the lead entering the stretch, and no one could go with her as she won off by 7 1/4 lengths over a pair of longshots.Luster, trained by Josie Carroll for Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen, now has five wins from six outings. She added the win against male competition to her Grade III victory in the Selene Stakes on June 27. Meanwhile, Carroll credited Velazquez’ cool ride.Sweet Azteca wins Sunday’s Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar for the third straight year. Photo by Benoit Photography, courtesy of Del Mar Turf ClubThe race is the first in the Canadian Triple Crown series, to be followed by the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on Sept. 7 and the Breeders’ Stakes on the Woodbine turf Sept. 27. Wando, in 2003, was the last horse to sweep the series.At Monmouth Park, Bishops Bay and Chunk of Gold duked it out through the stretch run of Saturday’s $150,000 Grade III Philip H. Iselin Stakes with Bishops Bay finishing first by a neck.Bartlet led throughout Friday’s $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup at Penn National by a neck from Spellcast.Turf / filly & mare turf
Survie handed her male competition a thorough beating in Saturday’s $750,000 Grade I Christophe Clement Stakes at Saratoga and did it against conditions that all current horse racing “wisdom” would have ruled it impossible.The 5-year-old Churchill mare was running on two weeks’ rest after winning the Grade II Glens Falls Stakes, also at the Spa. The British-trained mare faced some of the toughest U.S. male grass runners. And, she fell to last as the race developed at an absolute crawl over yielding turf.Yet, Manny Franco brought Survie back to the winner’s circle after a remarkable turn of foot carried her home first by 3/4 length over Minaret Station, with Program Trading third and the other European, Ancient Egypt, fourth.Adrian Walace, representing the Coolmore owners, said the plan is to make full use of the “Win and You’re In” bid in the Breeders’ Cup Turf that came with the Clement win.Also on the course they can eat: Proctor Street outfinished Eponine by a