When the 152nd Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets was finally decided late in the day June 20, the outcome was rather predictable.
Tag: Racing
Factor This Posts Game Front-Running Wise Dan Triumph
Gaining Ground Racing LLC's 5-year-old Factor This collected his third consecutive stakes win with a hard-fought, front-running triumph while holding off a fast-closing English Bee in Saturday's 31st running of the $200,000 Wise Dan (Grade II) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan and trained by Brad Cox, Factor This ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:41.15 to win by a neck as the even-money favorite. The $119,040 winner's share of the purse jumped his career record to 29-10-3-4—$844,070.
Pressured into the first turn, down the backstretch and leaving the final turn by English Bee's Calumet Farm stablemate Ritzy A.P., Factor This dictated the pace through splits of :23.93, :47.53 and 1:11.46. Bridgmohan dropped his hands at the top of the stretch and Factor This responded with determination as he inched clear and was able to hold off a rallying English Bee.
“We got a lot of pressure early and, once we sort of got into a rhythm, I tried to wait on him as much as possible,”Bridgmohan said. “I looked over and (Ritzy A.P.) was actually about to take the lead and then I had to go. He was still able to hold off the charge after getting that pressure early. He has a lot of fight and determination; he's just getting better.”
Factor This paid $4, $3.60 and $2.40. English Bee, with James Graham up, returned $8.60 and $5.40. Parlor was another three-quarters of a length back in third under Tyler Gaffalione and paid $3.80 to show.
Aquaphobia, Emmaus (IRE), March to the Arch, Casa Creed, Just Howard and Ritzy A.P. completed the order of finish. Hembree and Eons were scratched.
Factor This, a $62,500 claim in 2018, has won six races for Cox and Brian and Tom Cutshall, who race as Gaining Ground Racing LLC. Before the Wise Dan, Factor This won the $150,000 Fair Grounds (GIII) and $300,000 Muniz Memorial (GII) at Fair Grounds.
“That wasn't as easy as an even-money shot is supposed to win but he ran a huge effort,” Cox said. “He got pressure early and every step of the stretch he was able to fight off his rivals. It was an impressive effort on the front end. We'll get with the owners and determine a plan from here but it was very exciting to see how hard he ran today with that adversity.”
Factor This is a bay son of The Factor out of the Singspiel (IRE) mare Capricious Miss (GB). He was bred in Kentucky by Maccabee Farm.
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Australian-Bred Oleksandra Flies Late, Defeats Males In Jaipur
Team Valor International's Australian-bred mare Oleksandra made a last-to-first rally in the final quarter mile under Joel Rosario to beat males in Saturday's Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes, overtaking longshot Kanthaka in the final strides of the Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race for the Turf Sprint division.
Kanthaka, who opened a lead in mid-stretch, held second, with Texas Wedge third and Stubbins fourth in the field of eight older runners.
Trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, Oleksandra covered six furlongs on firm turf in 1:06.80 and paid $6.50 to win.
Oleksandra is a 6-year-old mare by Animal Kingdom, who won the Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup for Team Valor. She was bred in Australia by her owner and produced from the Caesura mare, Alexandra Rose.
Pure Sensation, the 2016 Jaipur winner making his fourth appearance in the race as a 9-year-old, broke slowly and rushed to the front early, setting fractions of :21.33 and :43.62 for the opening half mile. Stubbins, in close pursuit, moved to the lead at the top of the stretch but after five furlongs in :55.10 was overtaken by Kanthaka.
Oleksandra was last as the field rounded the final turn, swung wide and overtook Kanthaka nearing the wire.
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Classy Toinette Closes For Confident Score In ‘Strangely Run’ Wilshire
In a topsy turvy race that saw a heavily favored pacesetter concede the lead to an 11-1 longshot 4 ½ furlongs from home, only to be reeled in a furlong out, Neil Drysdale's classy Toinette, idle since Dec. 1, proved much best in winning Saturday's Grade III, $100,000 Wilshire Stakes by 2 ¾ lengths. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Toinette got a flat mile over the Santa Anita turf in 1:35.20.
Breaking from the outside in a field of five fillies and mares, Toinette, while under restraint, put immediate pressure on Keeper ofthe Stars into the Club House turn, making the lead as the field turned up the backside. From there, Mike Smith, aboard Gypsy Spirit, could wait no longer and he forged to lead in the run to the far turn, providing the winner with a target, on which she took dead aim.
“It was a strangely run race, but I liked the outcome,” said Drysdale, who last started 5-year-old Toinette on Dec. 1. “You're always a little concerned when a horse has had six months off. It's great to have her back.”
A three-time graded stakes winner, Toinette, who was a close fourth in the Grade I Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar Dec. 1, was the 3-5 favorite today and paid $3.40, $2.60 and $2.40.
“There was no pace,” said Prat. “She was a little fresh, she took me into the race. The three-horse (Gypsy Spirit) made the move to the outside, she got the race to go. My horse took a little breather and she was in the race from there. I didn't want to be on the lead, so I was glad there was a horse that made the move and made some pace.”
A 5-year-old mare by Scat Daddy out of the Sunriver mare I Bet Toni Knows, Toinette, who is owned by Ken Baca, and Edward and Lynne Hudson, notched her fourth graded stakes win and her eighth win from 12 lifetime starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $566,720.
Irish-bred Red Lark, who trailed the field to the top of the lane, made a good run into a tepid pace and was up for second money by a half length over Querelle. Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Red Lark was off at 14-1 and paid $6.60 and $4.20.
Next to last early, Querelle, who was ridden by Umberto Rispoli, was just up for third, finishing a neck in front of Gypsy Spirit. The longest shot in the field at 26-1, Querelle paid $6.00 to show.
The second choice at 6-5, Keeper ofthe Stars, who was immediately engaged by the winner, never seemed comfortable and tired to finish last with Abel Cedillo up.
Fractions on the race were 23.89, 47.68, 1:11.34 and 1:23.31.
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