Hip Ninety Three inherited victory in the $30,000 Queen of the Green while Ride Hard Kowboy took the photo-finish in the $30,000 Walter Cluer Memorial Stakes Saturday at Turf Paradise.
 
Queen of the Green
Following a furious stretch battle between momentary winner Ronda Rocks and Hip Ninety Three, the Stewards posted the Inquiry Sign and then reversed the order of finish, ruling that Ronda Rocks bore out in the stretch, costing Hip Ninety Three the chance of victory. Ronda Rocks, who put in a valiant effort, was placed second and Eyeadreamin third in the field of 11 fillies and mares.
 
Owned by Brent Stapley and Linden Hatch, Hip Ninety Three ($7.60) under Andrew Ramgeet covered the one mile over firm turf in 1:35.31. The 4-year-old Hip Ninety Three, who won this race last year for trainer F.C. Frazier, now has won six of 22 efforts for earnings of $113,483.
 
Walter Cluer
In a three-horse rush to the finish, it was last year’s runnerup, the 8-5 favorite  Ride Hard Kowboy ($5.20) that was a neck better at the wire to Charlie Again who had a neck on the French- bred Aventador who finished third in the field of 12 older horses.
 
Ridden by Scott Stevens for owners Turner Shiew and Robert Morgan, Ride Hard Kowboy covered the one mile over the lawn in 1:35.00. Trained by Molly Pearson, the 4-year-old Ride Hard Kowboy was winning for the sixth time in 20 efforts for earnings of $155,711.

Turf Paradise’s post-Holiday treats will be the $30,000 Queen of the Green and $30,000 Walter Cluer Stakes on Saturday.
 
Thanksgiving weekend will offer live racing Friday, featuring $1 Day specials like Grandstand Admission, hot dogs, soda, popcorn and ice cream. Saturday’s double stakes feature will also offer free Sweatshirts to the first 4,000 fans, free multiple inflatables for the kids and live music. Sunday is Fiesta Sunday, featuring Mexican food and live music. Post time all three days is 12:40 pm.
 
The Queen of the Green attracted 11 fillies and mares while the Walter Cluer Memorial, named after Turf Paradise’s founder, will host a full field of 12 colts and geldings. Both races are for 3-year-olds and up and both will be run at one mile on the turf course.
 
Queen of the Green
The talent runs deep with the femmes, staring with Eyesdreaming. The precocious 3-year-old daughter of multiple stakes winner Ez Dreamer goes for her third consecutive victory after coming off her first stakes tally, the Chandler Handicap, on November 6.
 
Hip Ninety Three, who won this race last year, returns to racing following a two-and one-half month respite. The 4-year-old filly, a daughter of Harlington, has won half of her eight outings on the local lawn.
 
Peppy Miller, reenergized after a five month freshner, has turned in a solid worktab for her return, including a bullet 5-furlong, :58.3 work Nov. 16.
 
Colinda Dawn, who beat the boys in the Colorado Derby, finished fifth in the recent City of Phoenix Handicap Nov. 5
 
The Molly Pearson-trained French Alps ships in from southern California and will be making her first start over the local grass course.
 
The Walter Cluer 
Silvanus, who rattled off five straight wins last season while climbing the climbing ladder, returned to the races Oct. 22 to finish second  beaten three-quarters of a length after a less than stellar start.. The 7-year-old came from off the pace that day which is contrary to his front-end running style.  Look for a better start in the Cluer.
 
Empire Knight has not finished out of the money in his last seven starts. Claimed by O.A. Martinez from Robertino Diodoro in his last start, Empire Knight’s earnings stand at $252,903 to lead all entrants.
 
Diodoro’s hopes will go with Blue Bomber. The multi-purpose 5-year-old has won at various distances on the grass, from 7 ½ furlongs to 1 7/8 miles.
 
Ride Hard Kowboy, who finished second in this race last year, will be making his second start following a seven-month rest.
 
Co Ferment, who won four straight at Arapahoe Park, will be making his Turf debut for the up and coming young trainer, Stetson Rushton.

The two favorites left little doubt as to why the bettors felt they were sure winners as
Constellation romped in the $30,000 City of Phoenix Stakes and Kaabraaj followed suit in winning the $30,000 Luke Kruytbosch Stakes Saturday at Turf Paradise.
 
The tip off with Constellation was listed in the program as the 3-year-old filly is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, a trainer who competes and wins in Grade 1 competition. The second tip off was the nearly $60,000 bet to show on the filly.
 
Constellation ($2.60) was cross-country-ing from New York’s Aqueduct to the trainer’s home base in California. Given that the filly, an $800,000 2-year-old purchase at the Ocala Sales, had not raced since March, the City of Phoenix Stakes set up as an easy comeback for her seven-month freshner and her first start and win against older company.
 
Ridden by David Flores (substituting for Alex Solis), Constellation allowed BCZ Middleton to set the early pace, and then pulled away from that one without breaking a sweat to win by 5 ¼ lengths. BCZ Middleton held the place with Queen Kate finishing third in the field of six fillies and mares.
 
Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, Constellation covered the six furlongs in 1:09.52 for her fourth victory in seven efforts and earnings of $299,464.
 
The Luke Kruytbosch
Kaabraaj and Eswan Flores followed a nearly identical race pattern to victory as Constellation by tracking a pace setter, in this case Rockin Home, and then with little effort slipped away to a 6 ¼ length victory. Storm Power finished third in the field of six older horses.
 
Owned by Warlock Stables and trained by Jeff Metz, Kaabraaj ($4.20) raced the 6 furlongs in 1:08.58 to capture his sixth victory in 19 outings. The 4-year-old Kaabraaj now has earnings of $135,620.

Dollar Day Friday. Free Sweatshirts On Saturday. Sunday Fiesta Day.

Once again Turf Paradise is the go-to place for fans and families to enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend. It’s a 61 year tradition that began when weary shoppers sought refuge from the malls.

After you’ve spent a few grand on a flat screen TV that will be obsolete in two years or $100 for a pillow you saw advertised on that TV, perhaps it’s time to visit Turf Paradise where the horses go fast and the dollar goes far.
 
Turf has three days of exciting and inexpensive fun. It’s a great place to take the kids or those family members from out of town who keep monopolizing your new TV.
 
Dollar Day Friday November 25th
It’s the day after Thanksgiving and you and your brother-in-law are still arguing about the outcome of the election. It’s the perfect time to take the family to Turf Paradise. Grandstand admission is $1 Friday.  So are hotdogs, popcorn, soda, and ice cream. Kids 16 and under get in free. General parking is free. And you’ll be free to enjoy a day of live and local horse racing where you can watch wager and win. There’s also $2 draft beer.  
 
Family Fun Day November 26th
It’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving and you and your brother-in-law are arguing over whether that $100 pillow was really worth the money. After spending all your cash holiday shopping, Turf Paradise offers a day of family fun. Grandstand admission is $2. Kids 16 and under get in free and the first 3,000 paid admissions get a free Turf Paradise sweatshirt. In addition to a full card of live horse racing, there are two heart-stopping stakes races. The Queen of the Green Stakes and the Walter Cluer Memorial Stakes feature the best local and regional thoroughbreds competing in two signature races. There’s also live music and a kids fun park with bounce house inflatables. Plus $3 aluminum bottle beer.
 
Sunday Fiesta Day November 27th
Sunday has arrived and all the good leftovers have been eaten. Rather than dine on string beans, Jell-O salad, and turkey fragments, take the family to Turf Paradise for Fiesta Sunday where you can enjoy Mexican food specials and music. Grandstand admission is just $2 and kids 16 and under get in free. There will be a full card of live horse racing, including some of the best quarter horse racing in the southwest.

And if you still have the urge to go holiday shopping, Turf Paradise has two gift stores where you can find a large assortment of gifts for horseracing fans or anyone who loves horses.
 
Turf Paradise General Manager Vince Francia said, “What better way to take the stress out of the holidays than to spend part of Thanksgiving weekend at Turf Paradise. From bargains to family fun to a fiesta, there’s something for everyone. ”
 
Turf Paradise opened its doors in 1956 and has operated at the same location (19th Avenue and Bell) ever since making it Arizona’s first sports franchise.
 

Jockey Jake Barton dominated the two turf stakes by winning the $25,000 Chandler Stakes with Eyesadreamin and the $25,000 Jeff and Jack Coady Stakes with Woodie B Awesome Sunday at Turf Paradise.
 
Benefiting from a superbly timed ride by Barton, Eyesadreamin ($11.80) came from last to collar 1-5 prohibitive favorite Complimentary within an eighth of a mile of the wire and drew away to win by two and one-half lengths with Trinni third in the field of six 3-year-old fillies.
 
Owned by Double Kee and trained by Bobbie Grissom, Eyesadreamin covered the one mile over firm turf in 1:36.50. The daughter of multiple stakes winner Ez Dreamer has now won three of 10 efforts for earnings of $37,835.
 
Coady Stakes
Barton employed similar tactics by reserving Woodie B Awesome ($9.80) of the pace until engaging the pace-setting and game Cable Jett late in the stretch, prevailing over that one by a head with 9-5 favorite Arizona Moon third in the field of eight colts and geldings.
 
Owned by Andy Spitainy and trained by J. Jay Kruljac, Woodie B Awesome covered the one mile over turf in 1:35.92 for his second win in 10 lifetime starts.