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Vekoma Scores Front-Running Victory In Runhappy Met Mile

Under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, R.A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' Vekoma scored a front-running victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., holding off late charges from Network Effect and Code of Honor and earning an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in the Win and You're In Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race.

Trained by George Weaver, Vekoma – 4-year-old colt by Candy Ride out of G1 Humana Distaff winner Mona de Momma, by Speightstown – covered one mile on a fast track in 1:32.88 after setting fractions of :22.73, :45.87 and 1:09.57.

Network Effect, who altered course in the stretch after lacking room along the rail, finished second. Code of Honor closed on the outside for third, with Warrior's Charge fourth and McKinzie fifth in the field of eight older runners.

Vekoma carried 123 pounds, two less than high-weight McKinzie. Both went off at 9-5.

The win was the sixth in eight starts for Vekoma, winner of the G3 Nashua at 2 in 2018, the G2 Blue Grass Stakes in 2019 and then 13th in the G1 Kentucky Derby. Given a lengthy rest by Weaver after the Derby, Vekoma came back in March to win the Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream, then came from just off the pace to win the G1 Carter Handicap on June 6. Network Effect finished second that day, too.

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Strong Returns, Seven-Figure Sale Topper For Fifth Consecutive Year at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale conducted another strong session on Tuesday to close the 2020 edition of the sale. For the fifth consecutive year, a seven-figure juvenile topped the Timonium, Md., sale.

The sale-topper came during Monday's session, when Hip 118, a colt by record-breaking champion freshman sire Uncle Mo sold for $1.1 million to Donato Lanni, agent for Michael Lund Petersen. The dark bay or brown colt was consigned by Pike Racing, agent. Hip 118 worked an eighth in :10-flat during last week's under tack show. The Virginia-bred 2-year-old is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Azar out of a winning Mineshaft half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Woodlander.

A colt by Candy Ride topped the sale's Tuesday session when sold for $875,000 to Gary Young, agent. Offered as Hip 443 by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, the bay colt worked an eighth in :10 1/5 seconds during the under tack show. The session-topper is out of the winning Giant's Causeway mare Causara, a daughter of graded stakes winner Lady Belsara.

The sale's top-priced filly sold early during the first session, when a daughter of leading sire Into Mischief sold to Lauren Carlisle, agent for $500,000. Offered as Hip 4 by Hoby and Layna Kight, the bay filly worked a quarter in :21 3/5 seconds during the under tack show. The top filly is out of the graded stakes placed Dixie Chatter mare Global Hottie, from the immediate family of Horse of the Year Alysheba.

Hip 451, a daughter of last year's leading first-crop sire American Pharoah, was the highest-priced filly of Tuesday's session. The dark bay or brown filly was purchased for $325,000 by Speedway Stable from the consignment of Kirkwood Stables, agent for Midway Gallop LLC (video). The New York-bred filly worked a quarter in :22-flat during last week's under tack show. Hip 451 is out of a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and stakes producer Awesome Humor and to Surf Club, dam of Grade 1 winner Emcee and Baffled, who produced current leading second-crop sire Constitution.

Overall, 303 horses sold for a total of $23,572,500, good for an average of $77,797 and a median of $40,000. The sale marked the first time online bidding was available at a Fasig-Tipton auction; more than 50 horses received online bids, and approximately 15 were sold online.

Full results are available online.

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Jungle Runner Taking ‘A Big Step Up’ In Saturday’s Belmont Stakes

Calumet Farm's Jungle Runner posted a half-mile breeze in 50.50 seconds Tuesday morning on the Belmont Park dirt training track in preparation for Saturday's 152nd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, this morning's blowout was the third local breeze for Jungle Runner, who worked five-eighths in 1:01.44 last Tuesday on Big Sandy.

“It was a nice easy half in 50 and change,” said assistant trainer Toby Sheets. “He galloped out in a minute. Not a big gallop out but we're very happy with it. He's doing well.”

Jungle Runner will provide 23-year-old Reylu Gutierrez, a native of Rochester, New York, with his first Belmont Stakes mount. A finalist for the Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice in 2018, Gutierrez earned his first graded stakes win in 2019 and has become a regular on the NYRA circuit.

“He's excited and we're excited for him,” said Sheets. “He worked our horses here over the winter and he's a good rider and very enthusiastic. Hopefully, we get a little piece of the action.”

Jungle Runner, a 3-year-old Candy Ride colt, captured the seven-furlong Clever Trevor at Remington Park in November while making his stakes debut. He followed that effort with a distant fourth in the Springboard Mile in December also at Remington Park.

Following a trio of off-the-board efforts in stakes company, including a last-out eighth in the first division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in May at Oaklawn Park, Jungle Runner will look to make his New York debut a winning one.

Sheets said Jungle Runner is training well into the Belmont Stakes, which this year will be contested around one turn at 1 1/8-miles as the first leg of the Triple Crown for the first time in history.

“He's had some decent works on the main track and then just a nice, easy blowout here this morning” said Sheets. “He's done everything the way we wanted. It's a big step up, but we'll give it a try.”

Asmussen, who saddled Creator to a 16-1 upset victory in the 2016 Belmont Stakes, will also be represented in this year's edition by Winchell Thoroughbreds' Pneumatic.

The dark bay Uncle Mo colt has won two-of-three starts including an April 11 score in an optional-claiming mile at Oaklawn Park when 2 ½-lengths the better of Captain Bombastic, who exited that effort to win Sunday's Mike Lee at Belmont.

Last out, Pneumatic was a prominent third in the Grade 3 Matt Winn on May 23 at Churchill Downs. Pneumatic is scheduled to arrive at Belmont Park on Tuesday night and will be piloted on Saturday by Ricardo Santana, Jr.

“He has good form and I think he has a good shot in there,” said Sheets.

The probable field for the Belmont Stakes currently stands at eight horses, including Dr Post (Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz, Jr.), Farmington Road (Pletcher, Javier Castellano), Jungle Runner (Steve Asmussen, Reylu Gutierrez), Max Player (Linda Rice, Joel Rosario), Pneumatic (Asmussen, Ricardo Santana, Jr.), Sole Volante (Patrick Biancone, Luca Panici), Tap It to Win (Mark Casse, John Velazquez) and Tiz the Law (Barclay Tagg, Manny Franco).

Modernist, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, is also expected to enter with Junior Alvarado to ride.

The post position draw for the Belmont Stakes is slated for Wednesday at 12 p.m. Eastern at Belmont Park and will be streamed live on NYRA's YouTube channel. Click this link to watch live.

As the exclusive broadcast partner of the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown, NBC Sports will present live coverage from Belmont Park on Belmont Stakes Day beginning at 2:45 p.m. Eastern.

Belmont Stakes Day June 20 will feature six graded races including four Grade 1 events led by the historic Belmont Stakes, which will offer 150-60-30-15 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

Rounding out the Grade 1 entertainment on Belmont Stakes Day are the $300,000 Longines Acorn for 3-year-old fillies going one mile; the $250,000 Woody Stephens presented by Claiborne Farm, a seven-furlong sprint over Big Sandy for 3-year-olds; and the $250,000 Jaipur presented by America's Best Racing, for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on turf, which offers a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

A pair of one-mile turf races for sophomores, previously contested at nine furlongs, completes a stakes-laden card with the Grade 2, $150,000 Pennine Ridge and the Grade 3, $150,000 Wonder Again for fillies.

NYRA Bets is the official online wagering site for the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes, and the best way to bet the 2020 Belmont Park spring/summer meet. Available to customers across the United States, NYRA Bets allows horseplayers to watch and wager on racing from tracks around the world at any time. The NYRA Bets app is available for download for iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

For more information, please visit www.BelmontStakes.com.

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