HORSE RACING

My Miss Aurelia, champion 2-year-old filly of 2011, won the $ 100,000 Mandy’s Gold Stakes for fillies and mares in her injury-delayed return to competition Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course in New York. She was making her first start since taking the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and was last from the starting gate, trailing four opponents into the stretch turn before rider Julien Leparoux asked her to give chase. She finished 3 lengths clear of Delightful Quality at the wire. The Steve Asmussen- trained filly ran 6 ⁄ furlongs in 1:15.90. A 1-4 favorite, she earned $60,000 for owner Stonestreet Stable and paid $2.50, $2.10 and $2.10. Delightful Quality paid $3 and $2.40 and Well Kept, third of five, returned $3 to show. Earlier, Sportswriter rallied to win the $100,000 New York Stallion Stakes Cab Calloway Division for 3-year-olds by a neck. He paid $12.80, $3.60 and $2.80. King Kreesa returned $2.40 and $2.10. Sleepy Freud, third of six, paid $4.70 to show.

Pete Pedersen, a longtime steward in California who was given the racing industry’s highest honor, has died at the age of 92. Santa Anita racing officials said in a statement Wednesday that Pedersen died due to complications suffered from a recent fall at his home. He worked for more than 60 years in various positions and presided over some of the industry’s most prestigious events, including the inaugural Breeders’ Cup in 1984 at Hollywood Park. He was given the Eclipse Award of Merit in 2002.