Memorable Day for Memorette

For most of her career, Memorette has made a nice living without doing much winning for owner Betty Currin and her husband, trainer Bill Currin.

The California-bred daughter of Memo was winless in eight starts in 2005 but earned nearly $268,000 while finishing runner-up four times and third twice.

As a 4-year-old, Memorette has rediscovered the joy of victory.

In her last race on Saturday, she earned her second victory by scoring an 8-1 upset in the $150,000 Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Ridden for the first time by Victor Espinoza, Memorette, who now has four wins in 19 starts, took advantage of an extremely quick pace for the 1 1/4 -mile distance and rallied late to beat a most unlucky Live Life by three-quarters of a length. Sixth in the 2005 American Oaks in her only other try at 10 furlongs, Memorette was timed in 2:00.16.

Looking for her third win in four starts in the U.S., Live Life, the 3-1 second choice, deserved better.

The French-bred gray was part of a three-horse battle for the lead through an opening half-mile in 45.82 and six furlongs in 1:10.06, drew clear after a mile in 1:34.97 before weakening slightly late. She broke through the gate prematurely, causing a delay at the start when she had to be reloaded. Sohgol and Dream Lady, the other two fillies involved in the early battle, finished next to last and last, respectively, in the field of nine.

Moscow Burning, the 2-1 favorite, finished third. She was also third as the public choice when Memorette won the Fran’s Valentine, a race restricted to Cal-breds, on April 30.

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Showing Up, the 5-2 favorite, was successful in his turf debut Saturday, winning the $1-million Colonial Turf Cup at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va.

Owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stables, which also raced Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, and trained by Barclay Tagg, the 3-year-old Strategic Mission colt reeled in runaway pacesetter Kip Deville, who had a double-digit lead for most of the way, in the final eighth of a mile to win by 3 1/4 lengths. Cornelio Velasquez rode Showing Up, who was making his first start since finishing sixth in the Kentucky Derby, and they completed the 1 3/16 miles in 1:52.98.

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Noble Stella, the 9-2 fourth choice, led throughout while setting very slow fractions and won the $182,000 New York Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Belmont Park.

Owned by Gary Tanaka and trained by Roger Attfield, Noble Stella, a 5-year-old German-bred mare, won for the sixth time in 24 starts, completing the 1 1/4 miles over a soft turf in 2:08.26. Mike Smith was aboard in the Grade II race as she held on to beat 5-2 second choice Angara by a neck. Argentina, the 19-10 favorite, finished third.

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Be A Bono, the world champion quarter horse of 2004, was a dominant winner in the $137,700 Vessels Maturity late Friday night at Los Alamitos and earned himself a spot for the third consecutive year in the Champion of Champions, which will be run in December.

Owned by breeder Spencer Childers, the 5-year-old Bono Jazz gelding, who was the 2-1 second choice in the Grade I race, won by 1 1/4 lengths over 35-1 longshot Get Down Perry. He ran the 400 yards under jockey G.R. Carter Jr. in 19.56 seconds.

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In other races around the country, Film Maker ($5.40) won the $200,000 All Along Breeders’ Cup at Colonial Downs and Smart Enough ($3.20) took the $70,000 Beau Genius at Churchill Downs.

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Jockey G.R. Carter Jr. made it back-to-back Grade I victories at Los Alamitos when he won the $1,142,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity on 5-1 shot Fdd Dynasty. This win came about 24 hours after Carter had taken the Vessels Maturity with Be A Bono.

Owned by a partnership and trained by Mike Joiner, Fdd Dynasty, a 2-year-old First Down Dash colt, broke well from his inside post and was never threatened as he won for the third time in as many starts.

He completed the 350 yards in 17.29 seconds.