Stakes win for Forever Darling
Forever Darling took command with a sixteenth of a mile to go and held off Code Warrior to win the $ 200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3- year- old fillies by a half- length at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Forever Darling ran 61⁄2 furlongs in 1: 16.25 and paid $ 10.20, $ 5 and $ 3.20 in the Grade 2 race. Code Warrior was second and Pretty N Cool third.
The victory, worth $ 120,000, increased Forever Darling’s career earnings to $ 155,400, with two wins in four starts for Richard Baltas, who trains and coowns her.
In the $ 200,000 San Gabriel Stakes for older horses, France- bred Flamboyant overtook Obviously late to win by a neck and end a 10- race losing skid.
Ridden by Frenchman Brice Blanc and trained by Paddy Gallagher, Flamboyant ran 11⁄8 miles on turf in 1: 46.64 and paid $ 94.20, $ 33.40 and $ 13.80 at 46- 1 odds in the Grade 2 race.
Obviously was second and Brazil- bred Bal A Bali was third.
In the $ 100,000 Midnight Lute Stakes, San Onofre won by a half- length under Alex Solis.
California Chrome had a solid workout in preparation for next Saturday’s San Pasqual Stakes.
Auston Matthews had a hat trick to lead the United States to a 7- 0 victory over the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals of the world junior hockey championship in Helsinki, Finland. The U. S. will face Russia in the semifinals Monday.
Steven Gerrard could return to English Premier League team Liverpool in a coaching role after his playing days with the Galaxy come to an end.
The former Liverpool captain told British newspapers that his next season with the Galaxy “will probably be my last year as a player.”
Gerrard has been training at Liverpool under Coach Juergen Klopp during the Major League Soccer off- season.
“I haven’t had an offer [ to coach], but the club have let me know they are keen for me to come back,” the former England midfielder was quoted as saying Saturday. Gerrard made 710 appearances for Liverpool in 17 years, scoring 186 goals.
Wayne Rooney’s first goal in nearly two months put him alone in second place on Manchester United’s all- time scoring list at 238 — 11 behind Bobby Charlton. He also is outright second all- time in the English Premier League with 188, behind Alan Shearer’s 260.
Rooney tucked away a brilliant f licked f inish in the second half to earn United a 2- 1 victory over visiting Swansea in the Premier League, ending an eight- match winless run that left Coach Louis Van Gaal in a fragile position at England’s biggest club.