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Bye Bye Makes Stakes Debut A Winning One In Soaring Softly

A class boost and increased distance did not faze Bach Stables' Bye Bye, who won by a neck in the fifth running of Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Soaring Softly for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Bye Bye came into her stakes debut off a sharp debut on grass, where she broke her maiden at second asking by 2 ¾ lengths going five furlongs at Gulfstream Park. The talented bay handled a test in company and distance with class for trainer Christophe Clement.

Exiting the outermost post in the 11-horse field, Bye Bye broke on top, but took back slightly in the compact field as 64-1 longshot Lexinator commanded a swift opening quarter in 22.61 seconds over the firm turf with Star Devine to her outside in second.

As the field entered the far turn, a keen Bye Bye moved into third to the outside of the two frontrunners through a half-mile in 45.62. As Lexinator dropped out of contention, first-out maiden winner Star Devine found herself on the lead as jockey Eric Cancel was on an all-out drive aboard Bye Bye with Candace O launching her bid in between horses. At the eighth pole, Bye Bye took command and held off a late rally from multiple stakes-placed Invincible Gal to win by a neck in a final time of 1:21.19.

It was another neck back to third-place finisher Candace O, who garnered more black type after finishing third in the Bourbonette Oaks last out over the synthetic surface at Turfway Park.

Completing the order of finish were Star Devine, Tobys Heart, Can't Buy Love, Hit the Woah, La Libertee, Sleek Lynx, Lexinator and No Ordinary Time.

Clement, who earned his second stakes win of the meet after saddling She's My Type to victory in the April 30 License Fee, expressed some concern with the outside post.

“I'm a firm believer in saving ground, but there's only so much we can do,” Clement said. “She was wide all the way, but she was good enough to overcome it. Eric did the best he could. We knew she was nice and now we know she is very nice. She went from five to seven-eighths very well. This was a very good performance. It's exciting.

“We might try to make her a miler but not too much further than that,” Clement added. “I'll need to think about it a little bit. Let's enjoy the moment and go on from there.”

Cancel said he was impressed with the winning effort from Bye Bye.

“This filly is talented. I wasn't expecting this type of performance for her first time going seven furlongs,” Cancel said. “She kept on trying and never gave up on me, so as long as she was there for me, I was going to still be there for her and it just worked out well. I think she'll just keep on improving. Christophe knows what he's doing with her, and I just hope everything keeps on going the right way.”

Bye Bye rewarded her backers in $2 win payouts of $19 and racked up $55,000 in victory, which over tripled her bankroll to $82,400. Her record now stands at 3-2-0-0.

Bred in Kentucky by Malibu Farm, Bye Bye is out of the Smart Strike mare Garnet, whose third dam was Grade 1-winner Dream Supreme. She comes from the same family as recent turf stakes-placed World Tour.

The Soaring Softly is named in honor of the inaugural winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in 1999. Owned by Phillips Racing Partnership and trained by Jimmy Toner, Soaring Softly was a three-time graded stakes winner at Belmont Park, with all triumphs against graded stakes company. The Kris S. mare captured the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay, Grade 2 New York and Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational, all in 1999, en route to a Breeders' Cup win and, subsequently, Champion Grass Mare honors.

Live racing continues Sunday with a nine-race card beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern. Sunday's Pick 6 will have a carryover of $36,011, starting in Race 4 at 2:32 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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At Age Seven, Arklow Picks Up Graded Win In Louisville

Grade 1 winner Arkow has aged well. The 7-year-old horse, who made his first start of the year, won Saturday's 84th running of the G3 Louisville Stakes at Churchill Downs by one length over Red Knight in 2:27.13 – a stakes record for the 1 ½-mile turf marathon.

Ridden by Florent Geroux, Arklow was rated in 10th during the early stages of the three-turn race as Admiralty Pier dictated the pace and led the field of 14 older horses through splits of :23.70, :48.64, 1:14.24 and 1:39.78. Nearing the final turn, Arklow made a bold four-wide move to draw into contention. He grabbed the lead at the head of the stretch and turned back the late threat from Ked Knight.

Brad Cox trained the winner for Jerry Crawford's Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and Lynn Coneway's Estate of Peter Coneway.

The win was worth $84,630 and improved Arklow's career earnings to $2,750,746 with a record of 9-7-2 in 32 starts. It was his sixth career graded stakes victory. He won the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar in his previous start on Nov. 27.

Arklow returned $4.60, $3.80 and $3 as the 4-5 betting choice. Red Knight, under James Graham, paid $7 and $5. Strong Tide, ridden by Marcelino Pedroza Jr., was another three-quarters of a length back in third and paid $8.60 to show. Ajourneytofreedom was another length back in fourth and was followed by Bakers Bay, Imperador (ARG), Fantasioso (ARG), Spooky Channel, Artemus Eagle, Jais's Solitude, Crafty Daddy, Admiralty Pier, Fighting Seabee and Monarchs Glen (GB).

Arklow is a son of Arch out of the Empire Maker mare Unbridled Empire, was bred in Kentucky by John R. Penn and Frank Penn.

Racing at Churchill Downs continues Sunday with a nine-race card that begins at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern).

LOUISVILLE QUOTES, courtesy Churchill Downs press office

Florent Geroux, jockey of ARKLOW (winner): “He's such a warrior. He knows what he's doing and such a professional. When he comes into the paddock every race he's all business and shows a ton of versatility on the racetrack. I had him really relaxed and in a good spot early. With about five furlongs to go he started tugging hard and I had to go. I didn't necessarily plan moving that early but he was ready to go. Brad and his team did a great job with him to get him ready to go this distance in his first start off the layoff. I'm very thankful to the owners as well for letting me get on him. He's an incredible horse.”

Brad Cox, trainer of ARKLOW (winner): “He's such a professional. We had this race in mind for a while to get his campaign started and he ran a great effort to start his year.”

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Somelikeithotbrown Vindicated In Second Run At Dinner Party Stakes, Sets Course Record

The second time in the Grade 2 Dinner Party Stakes was the charm for Somelikeithotbrown, who vindicated last year's runner-up effort in the race on Saturday. Jockey Jose Ortiz tucked the 5-year-old horse in behind 25-1 early leader Flying Scotsman, stalking his pace just outside and poking a nose out in front on the final turn. Somelikeithotbrown faced down a stubborn Flying Scotsman in the stretch under a calculated ride by Ortiz and held off late charges from Talk or Listen and favored Sacred Life to prevail by one length.

The victory was trainer Mike Maker's fourth graded stakes win in the previous two days.

Talk or Listen was second, followed by Midnight Tea Time. Bye Bye Melvin and Flying Scotsman finished in a dead heat for fourth.

Somelikeithotbrown went off at odds of 3-1 and paid $7.60 to win.

The final time of 1:40.09 was a course record for the 1 1/16 miles on the Pimlico turf course. Fractions were :23.78, :47.33, 1:10.52, and 1:34.17.

Mike Maker trains Somelikeithotbrown for owners Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stables. The horse came to the race after a disappointing seventh in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile earlier this year. He also has wins in the G2 Bernard Baruch and the G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks to his credit.

Somelikeithotbrown was bred in New York by Sand Dollar Stables and Hot Pink Stables and is the son of Big Brown and Tapit mare Marilyn Monroan.

See the full chart here.

$250,000 Dinner Party (G2) Quotes, courtesy Pimlico press office

Winning trainer Mike Maker (Somelikeithotbrown): “Jose and I talked about it. Last time that horse [Flying Scotsman] broke a step slow, came to our outside and he never settled in the Maker's Mark and it cost him in the end. I told Jose, 'If the horse goes, let's see if we can't get to the outside of him and see you in the winner's circle.'”

“He just doesn't seem to fire his A game at Gulfstream. After [the Dec. 12 Fort Lauderdale], we decided just to give him the winter off and point to this year.”

(On thinking this might have clinched the $50K trainer's bonus) “Well, Steve Asmussen has a lot more starters and placings so it might be a lot closer than people think.”

“I did like most of our horses. We had a couple of others that ran up the track.”

“We have a lot of options. He's run well at Saratoga multiple times. He's a New York-bred, so we'll look at a couple of those races as well.”

Winning jockey Jose Ortiz (Somelikeithotbrown): “I have ridden this horse before in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf as a 2-year-old, and it has been a long time since I have ridden him. He's matured a lot. He showed me some speed early on, and I got him to relax on the first turn and that was the key. He relaxed nicely and from the half-mile pole to the 3/8ths pole I was just waiting and waiting and when I asked him to go he did.”

Trainer Arnaud Delacour (Talk Or Listen; 2^nd): “They were all bunched up together. I thought we had a great trip. Flavien [Prat] did a great job and the horse was there for him, so I'm delighted. I'll have to see how he comes back. I wouldn't mind to run him a little bit longer.”

Jockey Flavien Prat (Talk Or Listen; 2^nd): “We had a really good trip. No troubles at all. He made a good move around the turn. He ran a great race.”

Trainer Joe Sharp (Midnight Tea Time; 3^rd): “We were really happy. Obviously, this was a big step up from his last race, but he's just a horse that has continued to move forward as he's gotten older. [Owner] Frank [Corigliano] has been patient with him and given him the right amount to time and spacing and breaks when he needed them. He just keeps on taking us to fun places and showing up every time. That's all you can ask for.”

Jockey Javier Castellano (Sacred Life, beaten favorite, 4^th): “He tried really hard. Today just wasn't his day. He is developing himself. I tried hard to get him closer, but he is a European horse and you can't rush him too much. All his races, he comes from behind. They just didn't come back to me.”

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The Chosen Vron Benefits From Pace Duel In Lazaro Barrera

With Laurel River and I'll Stand Taller duking it out on the front-end, trainer Eric Kruljac's The Chosen Vron flew off the turn for home and marched to an emphatic 3 ½-length win in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli, the California-bred gelding by Vronsky got 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.28.

In a field of four sophomores, it was readily apparent from the outset that I'll Stand Taller and Juan Hernandez were not going to allow impressive recent maiden winner Laurel River and Abel Cedillo to have their way on the front end as they blazed an opening quarter mile in 21.32.

With I'll Stand Taller shrinking noticeably a quarter mile out, The Chosen Vron was making an eye-catching move at the rail blew by Laurel River with a furlong to run.

“I could see they were going really fast, those two horses up front, and by the quarter pole my horse was right on top of them, he really kicked well in the stretch,” said Rispoli. “When I first came here, (J. Eric Kruljac) gave me so many winners, I'm happy to finally give him a stakes win.”

The Chosen Vron, fresh off a sparkling 6 ½-furlong win versus Cal-Breds in the Echo Eddie Stakes on April 3, was off as the 3-5 favorite and paid $3.20 and $2.10 with no show wagering.

“Short fields sometimes end up being like match races,” said breeder and part owner Kruljac. “I knew my horse could rate. … Doug (O'Neill) had a horse in there that looked like he would use as the rabbit, so that kind of eliminates the match race. He softened them up early and I don't know if it mattered, with the way the horse fired today. He's a pretty exciting horse, when you breed them yourself there's this extra pride that goes into it. I'm as excited as I can be.”

Owned J. Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker and Richard Thornburgh. The Chosen Vron, who is out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Tiz Molly, picked up his first graded stakes win and has three wins from four starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $210,600.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Laurel River dominated the early wagering but went off as the second choice at 6-5 and paid $2.20 to place while finishing 10-lengths in front of Wipe The Slate.

Trained by Doug O'Neill and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Wipe The Slate finished 14 ½ lengths in front of his stablemate I'll Stand Taller.

Complete fractions on the race were 21.32, 44.29 and 1:09.61.

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