Bodexpress, who made headlines as the riderless horse in the 2019 Preakness, is now a Grade 1 winner. The 4-year-old colt grabbed the lead with three-sixteenths of a mile to run and turned back a challenge from 8-5 favorite Code of Honor to win Friday's 146th running of the $500,000 Clark Presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade 1) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., by one length.
Owned by Top Racing LLC (Lucas Noriega), Global Thoroughbred (Rafael Celis) and GDS Racing Stable (Gustavo Delgado), Bodexpress clocked 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:49.12 under jockey Rafael Bejarano, who rode the winner for trainer Gustavo Delgado. Son Gustavo Delgado Jr. was on hand to saddle the winner for his father.
The lofty $282,100 first prize lifted the bay Kentucky-bred's earnings to $694,600 from a record of 4-4-3 in 17 starts.
“This is a different horse than we saw last year during the Triple Crown campaign,” Delgado Jr. said. “He's really matured. Turning for home I thought we had a really good shot. The horse deserves this most of all. I'm very happy for everyone involved but we are so happy for Bodexpress.”
Breaking from post position No. 8 in the full field of 14, Bodexpress was forwardly placed throughout the race. Phantom Currency dictated the early pace (:23.39 and :47.94) and had a 1 ½-length advantage on Bodexpress leaving the first turn into the backstretch run. Mr Freeze found room along the rail and raced alongside Bodexpress. The trio bunched around the far turn and the leader began to fade. Mr Freeze briefly took over after six furlongs in 1:12.77 but Bodexpress made a three-wide move, stuck a nose in front at the three-sixteenths pole and inched clear inside the final furlong. Code of Honor made a four-wide bid down the stretch but did not have enough to get by the winner.
“This horse just showed so much run today,” Bejarano said. “I'm so proud of him. (Phantom Currency) was going so fast on the lead and we were able to sit a really good trip just behind him. He relaxed very nicely for me and turning for home I could feel I still had a lot of horse underneath me. He had a lot of energy in deep stretch when we needed it to hold off the rest of the horses. It's very special winning a race like this returning to Kentucky to ride this year. This is my home and we've had a lot of success here in my career. This was very special.”
Bodexpress, at odds of 11-1, rewarded his backers with mutuels of $25.40, $10.60 and $7. Code of Honor, with John Velazquez up, returned $4 and $3. Owendale, under Florent Geroux, was another length back in third and paid $3.80 to show.
“We got into a good spot on the backstretch in between horses,” Velazquez said of Code of Honor. “We were chasing the speed of (Phantom Currency) and turning for home we didn't have a lot of room. When I finally got a spot to run around the eighth pole, (Bodexpress) kept going and we weren't able to catch him.”
Coastal Defense finished fourth and was followed by Mr Freeze, Silver Prospector, By My Standards, Bourbon Calling, Crafty Daddy, Title Ready, Multiplier, Aurelius Maximus, Plus Que Parfait and Phantom Currency. In Love (BRZ) was scratched from the also-eligible list.
This was the first stakes victory for Bodexpress, who entered the race off a dominating 11 ¼-length allowance win over 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park West on Oct. 17.
Bodexpress qualified to the 2019 Kentucky Derby (GI) as a maiden with a second place finish behind Maximum Security in that year's $1 million Florida Derby (GI). He placed 13th in the Derby and, two weeks later, unseated jockey John Velazquez when he reared at the start of the Preakness. He galloped around the track far removed from the inner rail and became a social media sensation.
Next up for Bodexpress is a likely run in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (GI) at Gulfstream on Jan. 23.
Bodexpress is son of Bodemeister out of the City Zip mare Pied a Terre and was bred by Martha Jane Mulholland.
The post Bodexpress Upsets Clark At 11-1 For First Career Stakes Win; Eyes Pegasus Next appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
A 10-race card was drawn Friday for Wednesday's opening day of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park.
Luis Saez, who was edged out for the riding title by Irad Ortiz Jr. by one and two wins, respectively, the past two Championship Meets, will try to get off to a fast start for the 2020-2021 meet, accepting nine mounts on Wednesday's opening-day card.
Saez, who won back-to-back titles in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, is scheduled to ride Ashaar for defending training titlist Todd Pletcher in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance Race 8.
Ashaar, formerly trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, hasn't seen action since finishing seventh in the Jan. 4 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream. Ournationonparade, a stakes winner trained by Kathy Ritvo, is scheduled to make his first start since finishing fifth in the Sept. 5 Smile Sprint (G3).
In the co-featured Race 9, a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on turf for fillies and mares, Mark Casse-trained Catch a Thrill will look to breakthrough with a victory after finishing second in all three 2020 starts, including a Belmont race between two Gulfstream races. The 4-year-old daughter of City Zip finished second in the Melody of Colors Stakes at Gulfstream last season.
The post Entries Drawn For Wednesday’s Opening Day Of Gulfstream Park Championship Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
There will be carryovers in the 20-cent Rainbow 6, 50-cent Late Pick 5 and $1 Super Hi-5 wagers for Saturday's Fall Festival of Racing program at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., featuring six stakes races worth $600,000 in purses.
First race post time is 12:25 p.m. ET.
No one had all six winners in Friday's 20-cent Rainbow 6, growing the carryover jackpot to $15,053.51 for Saturday, spanning Races 4-9. Tickets with five of six winners each returned $197.92.
The Late Pick 5, offering an industry-low 12 percent takeout, also went unsolved to produce a carryover of $3,910.14. Tickets with four of five winners were worth $100.25.
Saturday's opener will feature a carryover of $8,819.04 in the Super Hi-5.
The post Multiple Carryovers On Saturday’s Fall Festival Of Racing Program At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
