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Dylan Davis Wastes Little Time Winning First Day Back From Injury

Idle since suffering a broken clavicle at Aqueduct Racetrack on March 20, jockey Dylan Davis didn't waste any time finding the winner's circle on his first day back riding on Saturday at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

In his third mount since his return, the New York-based Davis guided Bottle Rocket Man to victory for Chad Brown in the seventh race.

“It's a mix of emotions – some relief, some excitement. It felt great,” said Davis. “First day back, I was anxious to get back in the winner's circle as quickly as I could and it felt great. To do it for Chad Brown is really special, too.”

Davis, who has 819 career victories, said for now he is “riding both tracks (Belmont and Monmouth Park).”

“Wherever I can get some mounts and get some winners,” he said. “My plans are fluid right now. It depends on which mounts I get at both tracks.

“But it feels so good to get that first one out of the way after being out for so long.”

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Better With Age: 8-Year-Old Bombard Digs In For Daytona Stakes Score

Quick from the gate and head and head to deep stretch with speedy Law Abidin Citizen, heavily favored Bombard simply wouldn't be denied in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as he prevailed by 1 ¼ lengths under Flavien Prat. Trained by Richard Mandella, the 8-year-old gelding by War Front got 6 ½ furlongs on turf in 1:14.47.

Most recently second in a tough classified allowance going six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on April 25 and only beaten 3 ¼ lengths two starts back in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Bombard added blinkers for the first time in this his 18th career start and notched his first-ever graded stakes victory at a point in life where most of his classmates have been retired.

“He's as good as he's ever been, for sure,” said Mandella. “I don't race him much, he's got a few problems that we have to take care of, but he comes back and he pays us back. We'll keep doing that as long as he's having a good time and so are we.”

Off as the 3-5 favorite in a field of five older horses, Bombard paid $3.40, $2.80 and $2.10.

“He broke really well and put himself in the race,” said Prat, who has now ridden by Bombard to a total of five victories. “I don't think the blinkers had anything to do with his race. I love to win.”

Owned by Perry Bass II, Ramona Bass, Adele Dilschneider and Waddell Hancock II, Bombard, who is out of the Distorted Humor mare Witty, was making his second start of the year and is now 18-6-6-2. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $459,771.

Idle since Aug. 29, Law Abidin Citizen finally threw in the towel a sixteenth out, enabling others to secure the minor placings.

Last for nearly the entire trip, Majestic Eagle unfurled a good stretch run to take second by a head over French-bred Commander. Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Majestic Eagle was off at 9-1 and paid $6.00 and $2.80.

Commander, who sat third most of the trip, finished third by a length and quarter and paid $2.80 to show while off at 6-1 with Juan Hernandez.

Law Abidin Citizen, a multiple graded stakes winner, was ridden by Abel Cedillo and held fourth by a nose over Jamming Eddy.

Fractions on the race were 21.63, 44.17 and 1:08.13.

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Sainthood Finds Sloppy Going To His Liking In Pennine Ridge

Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-participant Sainthood was expected to make his turf debut on Saturday, but instead the Mshawish colt capitalized on a race moved to the main track. Sainthood earned his first stakes win by besting The Reds in a stretch duel for a one-length score in the Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge at 1 1/8 miles for sophomores at Belmont Park.

The seventh running of the Pennine Ridge, originally slated for two turns on the inner turf course, was moved to a one-turn dirt contest due to heavy rain earlier in the day. It was automatically downgraded to Grade 3 because of the surface switch, although the American Graded Stakes Committee will review this year's running to consider reinstatement of its original grade.

Winstar Farm and CHC's Sainthood, making his first start since running 11th in the “Run for the Roses” for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, broke sharp under jockey Joel Rosario, leading the pared-down five-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 24.75 seconds on the sloppy and sealed track.

Shawdyshawdyshawdy, who tracked in second position, challenged the pacesetter under Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez from the rail and earned the lead, posting a half-mile in 48.56.

Rosario urged Sainthood up approaching the far turn, overtaking Shawdyshawdyshawdy from the outside. But The Reds, under Kendrick Carmouche, kept pressing from the outside, with the duo linking up at the top of the stretch and challenging eye-to-eye into the last furlong. Sainthood responded to Rosario's left-handed encouragement, gaining separation near the final sixteenth and repelling The Reds' re-rally attempt to complete the course in 1:50.57.

“He handled it [the slop] well. He broke on top and I was just looking to follow somebody,” Rosario said. “He was moving really well and I know the other horse [The Reds] had the jump on me, but I kept riding and I was hoping he would fight back and he did.

“I thought maybe he got me, but I knew I hadn't asked him for everything he got, so I knew he'd have a little more in the end,” he added.

Sainthood, who broke his maiden at second asking in February on dirt at Fair Grounds before running second in the G3 Jack Ruby Steaks on Tapeta in March at Turfway Park in his Derby prep, improved to 2-2-0 in five starts and more than doubled his bankroll to $201,900.

“I think he's a versatile colt, much like his sire Mshawish, who we trained and won graded stakes on dirt and turf for us,” Pletcher said. “This horse has run well on dirt and synthetic and slop today. I thought he actually ran a solid race in the Derby. He didn't disgrace himself by any means for a colt as lightly raced as he was. His two works here on the turf I thought were pretty impressive. We came into today hoping to get him on the turf, but it's also great to have one as versatile as he is who can run on just about anything.”

Sainthood, the 4-5 favorite, returned $3.80 on a $2 win wager. Pletcher said the effort could facilitate a start in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby going 1 1/4 miles on turf in the opener of the Turf Triple series for sophomores on Saturday, July 10 at Belmont.

“We got a good prep for it if we decide to go that way,” Pletcher said. “It's good to have a horse with this many options. We'll talk to the team and come up with a plan, but that will be towards the top of the list.”

Flanagan Racing's The Reds traveled wide throughout after exiting from the outermost post 5. Trained by John Kimmel, The Reds finished five lengths clear of Shawdyshawdyshawdy in his first start since being elevated from second to first in the Federico Tesio in April at Pimlico Race Course after Excellorator's disqualification.

“The post didn't cost him, the best horse won the race,” Carmouche said. “Just no pace. My horse ran well, if we had a little more pace it would have been better for him.”

Safe Conduct and Minuteman completed the order of finish.

Step Dancer, Shaftesbury, Hard Love and Public Sector all scratched.

Live racing continues Sunday with a nine-race card and a 1 p.m. Eastern first post. The $100,000 Paradise Creek for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs on the Widener turf course is slated for Race 8 at 4:40 p.m.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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Australia: Four Derby Wins For Explosive Jack?

Explosive Jack looks to equal an Australian and American record for most Derby wins in a season (four) this Friday night in the Group 1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm racecourse. Tune in to TVG or stream on the new Sky Racing World App (First Post: 9:34 p.m. ET / 6:34 p.m. PT).

Explosive Jack is by the late Jakkalberry, a globetrotting G1 winner in Italy who won the inaugural American St. Leger at Arlington in 2012 (a race that was discontinued after six years). Jakkalberry also won in England and Dubai, competed in Japan and Hong Kong, and finished third in a Melbourne Cup.

Explosive Jack's Derby odyssey began in February, winning the Tasmanian Derby in Australia's island state. There is a quantum leap in quality from the Tasmanian Derby, which carries only listed status, to the G1 Australian Derby at Sydney's “The Championships.” However, Explosive Jack sprang a 15-1 photo finish upset at Randwick before dominating the G1 South Australian Derby in Adelaide three weeks ago. This was the first time in his eight-start career that Explosive Jack started favorite, and he will again carry the weight of public support (2-1) in his history-making endeavor this Friday night.

Only one horse – Dayana, in 1972, trained by the legendary Bart Cummings – has won four derbies in Australia. Explosive Jack would become the first to achieve the feat in four different states. Jay Privman, who attended his first Kentucky Derby in 1982 and has led Daily Racing Form's Triple Crown coverage since 1998, name a trio of American horses with four derby credits: Smarten (1979), Snow Chief (1986) and Lost Code (1987). Interestingly, none of those four-peats included the Kentucky Derby – indeed, Privman recalls trainer Woody Stephens specifically targeting Smarten at the Illinois, Pennsylvania, American and Ohio Derbies after an early-season encounter with Spectacular Bid caused him to alter plans for the year. Admittedly, there is no generational freak in the current crop of Australian 3-year-olds, but the fact that Explosive Jack boasts the Australian Derby win at Royal Randwick adds merit to his streak.

The Queensland Derby, at 1 1/2 miles, is the seventh of nine races and shares Friday night's G1 spotlight with the weight-for-age Kingsford Smith Cup, Race 8 at six and ahalf furlongs. Godolphin's royal blue silks will be carried by Savatiano (7-2) and Trekking (8-1), who bear many coincidences apart from their ownership. Both are 6-year-olds with similar career records: Savatiano 39:13-10-3; Trekking 35:10-6-4. Moreover, both are by Street Cry from a Redoubte's Choice mare. Street Cry enshrined himself in American and Australian breeding history through the deeds of daughters Zenyatta and Winx, while Redoubte's Choice has been Australia's most influential sire of this century. Savatiano, also a mare, comes off a photo finish win and a photo finish defeat at G1 level during Sydney's recent “Autumn Racing Carnival.” Trekking has netted $5 million in earnings throughout his career, and was beaten less than a length in Eduardo's G1 Doomben 10,000 two weeks ago. Godolphin's private trainer in Australia is James Cummings, grandson of the aforementioned Bart Cummings, one of the nation's most revered and successful trainers who won a record 12 Melbourne Cups.

If their breeding epitomizes the link between Australia and the United States, Savatiano and Trekking would be an appropriate exacta result in a race which honors Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. In 1928, the pioneering aviator made the first trans-Pacific flight – from Oakland, Calif., to his hometown of Brisbane, Australia. The journey (with an Australian co-pilot and two American crewmen) was completed in a slick 83 hours and 38 minutes of flying time, with stops in Hawaii and Fiji. Kingsford Smith's plane, the Southern Cross, is on display at Brisbane Airport – less than three miles from Eagle Farm (Doomben is situated between them). Also in 1928, another Queensland-born aviator, Bert Hinkler, landed his plane on Eagle Farm's home stretch – in between races, in front of a massive crowd – after a record-breaking solo flight from Britain to Australia.

The Eagle Farm card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:34 p.m. ET / 6:34 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Randwick, Kembla Grange and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Wrona's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. He also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

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