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Captain Bombastic Best In Polynesian Stakes At Laurel

Team Hanley's Captain Bombastic, a New York-bred son of Forty Tales trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Feargal Lynch, pulled away from Grade 1 winner Roadster down the stretch to win the $100,000 Polynesian Saturday at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

A 10-1 longshot, Captain Bombastic's victory was his first under the shedrow of Hall of Famer Asmussen. The colt was previously trained by Chad Brown and Jeremiah Englehart. Captain Bombastic covered the mile in 1:36.11, winning by a length over Cordmaker, who was disqualified from second and placed sixth for interference down the stretch. Phat Man, who finished third, was placed second.

The Polynesian victory capped a big day for Asmussen and Lynch. Just 30 minutes earlier, Jalen Journey, trained by Asmussen and ridden by Lynch, was placed first in the $200,000 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash after winning favorite Wondrwherecraigis was disqualified from first for interfering with Jalen Journey down the stretch.

“It was a great day,” Lynch said. “Getting put up is never ideal. You don't want to win that way. But sometimes you're the windscreen and sometimes you're the bug.”

Toby Sheets, assistant trainer to Asmussen, said of Captain Bombastic: “He had been training well. We gave him a bit of a break and lightened up on him and he came right back around. [Lynch] saw a hole and probably thought he should go for it after the last race.”

Captain Bombastic, whose last victory came in August of 2020 in the New York Stallion Stakes, was fourth in last year's Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and sixth in the Grade 3 Chick Lang at Pimlico. On Saturday, in his second start for Asmussen, the 4-year-old raced third down the backstretch behind a :23.68 opening quarter set by Roadster and Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith, riding at Laurel for the first time since 2007. Approaching the turn, Lynch saw an opening along the rail and guided Captain Bombastic to the front. Roadster stayed outside Captain Bombastic past a :47.05 half mile and poked his nose in front again around the turn. But Lynch took the lead back entering the stretch and Roadster couldn't keep up.

“With Steve's horses, you don't get in their way and you just get good position,” Lynch said. “When Mike left the rail open, it was either go in there or take back. But Steve's horses…they're warriors. It's so hard to describe. You look at their ears, they're flat back and they want to win more than anybody.”

Roadster, a $525,000 yearling in 2017, was a highly regarded juvenile and later a Kentucky Derby contender after winning the 2019 Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby for trainer Bob Baffert. But that victory has remained his last trip to the winner's circle. He came into the Polynesian off a fourth-place finish in April in the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs.

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Walton Street Draws Away To Dominant Victory In Canadian International At Woodbine

Walton Street made his first start in North America a winning one under famed jockey Lanfranco Dettori, winning the Grade 1 Canadian International by 5 3/4 lengths at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The 7-year-old gelding went into the gate as the favorite, bided his time for ten furlongs, and pulled away in the stretch to earn his first G1 victory in dominant fashion.

Breaking from the second post, Dettori settled Walton Street behind longshot Primo Touch, who got out to a multi-length lead within the first half-mile. Logging fractions of :25, :49.49, and 1:14.37, Primo Touch slowed the pace down, leaving the door open for the field's closers. With a quarter of a mile to go, Walton Street easily took over the lead, entering the stretch on the leading and pulling away to a five-length advantage in the race's final furlong.

At the wire, it was all Dettori and Walton Street, with Desert Encounter second and Primo Touch third.

The final time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2:29.07. Find this race's chart here.

Walton Street paid $3.70, $2.40, and $2.20. Desert Encounter paid $5.40 and $4.30. Primo Touch $6.80.

Bred in England by Darley, Walton Street is a 7-year-old gelding by Cape Cross out of the Encosta de Lago mare Brom Felinity. He is owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby. With his win in the G1 Canadian International, Walton Street has three wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of seven wins in 19 starts and career earnings of $962,153.

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Shantisara Rallies In Stretch To Win Jockey Club Oaks At Belmont

Shantisara (IRE) sat just off fellow Chad Brown trainee Higher Truth throughout the 1 3/8-mile Jockey Club Oaks Invitational and rallied in the stretch to pass her stablemate and take the last leg of the Turf Triple at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

A last-out winner in the Grade 3 Pucker Up at Arlington Park, Shantisara with Flavien Prat broke cleanly and took up position on the outside of Higher Truth, content to sit a length back early. With early fractions of :25.51 for the first quarter of a mile and :51.70 for the half, Higher Truth ran easily on the front, looking to take the race gate to wire.

On the far turn, Shantisara pulled even with the leader, as Harajuku started her move on the hedge. While Harajuku looked for running room after trailing much of the race, the two Chad Brown fillies dueled down the Belmont stretch, with Shantisara able to dig in and take the lead in the race's final yards to win by a half-length. Higher Truth was second and Harajuku third.

The final time for the 1 3/8 miles was 2:16.91. Find this race's chart here.

Shantisara paid $11.40, $5.40, and $3.60. Higher Truth paid $3.20 and $2.20. Harajuku paid $2.80.

Bred in Ireland by Oliver Donlon, Shantisara is by Coulsty out of the Dalakhani mare Kharana. She is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Robert LaPenta. She was consigned by Aguiar Bloodstock and sold to Federico Barberini, agent, for $13,171 at the 2020 Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale With her win in the Jockey Club Oaks, the 3-year-old filly has two wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of four wins in eight starts and career earnings of $488,108.

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DQ Elevates Jalen Journey to De Francis Dash Winner At Laurel

Wondrwherecraigis crossed the wire first, but it was Jalen Journey who had his picture taken in the winner's circle for the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. The 6-year-old ridgling scored the win via disqualification after interference from Wondrwherecraigis compromised Jalen Journey in the stretch.

Kalu darted out to the lead in the first yards of the De Francis Dash, with Wondwherecraigis stalking on his outside, laying close throughout the first part of the race with Jalen Journey in third. Into the turn, Wondrwherecraigis closed in on Kalu and took over the lead as they entered the stretch. Jalen Journey moved out from behind the new leader into the center of the track to find running room as Wondrwherecraigis lugged out from the rail, causing Jalen Journey to check for an instant. The move was enough to keep Jalen Journey from catching Wondrwherecraigis in the race's final yards, the favorite holding on to win the G3 De Francis Dash by three-quarters of a length.

After the race, Feargal Lynch on Jalen Journey lodged a claim of foul against Jevian Toledo on Wondrwherecraigis. Laurel stewards disqualified Wondrwherecraigis to second for interference in the stretch, elevating Jalen Journey to winner of the G3 stakes.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.52. Find this race's chart here.

Jalen Journey paid $4.60, $2.60, and $2.20. Wondrwherecraigis paid $2.20 and $2.20. Kalu paid $2.80.

Bred in Florida by Edward Pendray and Dennis Foster, Jalen Journey is by With Distinction out of the Congrats mare Petunia Face. He is owned by Rockingham Ranch and David A. Bernsen and trained by Steve Asmussen. The win brings Jalen Journey to a lifetime record of eight wins in 16 starts and career earnings of $503,674.

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