1 of 3 | Himika wins Sunday’s Anoakia Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Santa Anita. Photo by Benoit Photography, courtesy of Santa Anita \n <\/p>\n
Oct. 20 (UPI) — While some of the world’s top horses were showing their stuff from England to Australia this weekend, there was no shortage of action in North America, including promising performances from some nice 2-year-olds.<\/p>\n
That’s keeping the wheels turning pending Wednesday’s announcement of Breeders’ Cup pre-entries.\n<\/p>\n
But first things first. The weekend on-track action:<\/p>\n
Aqueduct\n<\/p>\n
Ready for Candy stalked the pace in Saturday’s $200,000 Grade II Sands Point Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf, and then outfinished Fast Market, winning by a neck.<\/p>\n
The Twirling Candy miss, with Ricardo Santana Jr. up for trainer Philip Antonocci, ran 1 1\/8 miles on firm going in 1:49.44. She needed eight tries over nearly 14 months to get her first win, but now has logged three straight victories.<\/p>\n
In Sunday’s $150,000 Noble Damsel Stakes, Aussie Girl got the jump on the favorite, Tax Implications, opened a daylight lead in the stretch and held off that rival by a neck at the finish.\n<\/p>\n
Aussie Girl, a 5-year-old, Irish-bred mare by Starspangledbanner, ran 1 mile on firm turf in 1:36.73. Dylan Davis had the mount for trainer William Walden.<\/p>\n
Out on Bail won Sunday’s $150,000 Carle Place Stakes for 3-year-olds on a head bob over Cyclonite. Out on Bail, a Tiz the Law colt, ran 6 furlongs on the firm turf in 1:08.64.<\/p>\n
Ready to Jam won the companion $150,000 Autumn Days for fillies and mares by 3\/4 length over Johanny with the favorite, Toupie, a fading sixth. The More Than Ready filly, with Junior Alvarado up for trainer Mark Casse<\/a>, ran 6 furlongs on the grass in 1:08.77.<\/p>\n Keeneland\n<\/p>\n Kappa Kappa was the final survivor of a spirited multi-horse battle in Saturday’s $400,000 Grade II Lexus Raven Run Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, winning by a head over Vodka With a Twist — both double-digit long shots.<\/p>\n The favorite, Ragtime, was crowded back at the start and her late run only earned her third place. Kappa Kappa, an Omaha Beach filly, ran 7 furlongs on a fast track in 1:23.90 with John Velazquez<\/a> aboard for trainer Robert Reid Jr. She earlier won two of three starts at Parx Racing.\n<\/p>\n Barnes finally returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since the Group 2 San Vicente Stakes<\/a> in January with a smashing win in Saturday’s $350,000 Grade III Perryville Stakes.<\/p>\n The 3-year-old Into Mischief gelding dueled around the turn in the 7-furlong sprint then left the opposition behind in the stretch, scoring by 8 1\/4 lengths. With Jose Ortiz<\/a> up for trainer Bob Baffert<\/a>, Barnes finished in 1:23.45.<\/p>\n On Sunday, Venencia stalked the pace in the $350,000 Grade III Rood & Riddle Dowager Stakes for fillies and mares, got to the lead turning for home, then dueled with Bless My Stars before kicking away to win by 2 3\/4 lengths.<\/p>\n Venencia, a 5-year-old, French-bred mare, ran 1 1\/2 miles on yielding turf in 2:35.69. She is scheduled to go under the hammer Nov. 6 at Keeneland. The favorite, Vive Veuve, finished third.<\/p>\n Gulfstream Park\n<\/p>\n Khozalite jumped into the Florida Sire Stakes for 2-year-old state-breds at the midpoint of the series and immediately made his presence felt in Saturday’s $200,000 Affirmed Division for colts and geldings.<\/p>\n The Khozan colt stalked two-wide and showed his heels to rivals in the lane, winning off by 4 lengths as the lukewarm favorite. Fourth and Central, winner of the first leg, hasn’t had a published work since that Sept. 6 victory and did not start Saturday.\n<\/p>\n In Saturday’s companion Susan’s Girl Division, Mythical stepped back to state-bred company from an ambitious summer campaign that saw her win the Grade III Adirondack at Saratoga.<\/p>\n The outcome was predictable, as referenced by her 1-2 odds. The St. Patrick’s Day filly skipped away from 10 rivals to win by 12 3\/4 lengths. The winner of the series opener, Lennilu, finished third in the Group 2 Queen Mary<\/a> at Royal Ascot and since has gone on to victory in open company.<\/p>\n Trainer Jorge Delgado said it’s a “no brainer” to try to stretch out Mythical to two turns for the series finale, the $300,000 My Dear Girl Division on Nov. 29.<\/p>\n Santa Anita\n<\/p>\n Another of Baffert’s promising 2-year-old fillies, Himika, outclassed a quartet of rivals in Sunday’s $110,000 Anokia Stakes, running best late to win by 4 lengths after 6 furlongs in 1:10.40.<\/p>\n Juan Hernandez rode the filly, who got her third win from five starts while turning back from an unsuccessful two-turn effort.<\/p>\n “I was happy that she is back to winning form. She basically told us, no two turns for now, but maybe down the road,” Baffert said.<\/p>\n