The Sunshine Classic co-headlined Saturday's program with the $75,000 Sunshine Sprint, a six-furlong race for older Florida-breds.

Shamrocket, a winner of one turf stakes with more than $400,000 in earnings, was sent to post as the 6-5 favorite in a field of seven.

“He's always trained well on it, and we were kind of looking for the right time to give it a try. I talked to [stable operator] Jerry Crawford and decided to go ahead and give it a try,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It could open up some options for him. I think he's a horse that might even handle some of these longer dirt races, marathon-type dirt races, down the road. I'm happy for the horse and proud of him for getting the job done.

Shamrocket had to work hard to prevail by a half-length over gutsy Sir Ollie, who had come under pressure throughout the Sunshine Classic. The Pletcher trainee settled in fourth along the backstretch, where a headstrong Big Venezuela dragged jockey Luis Saez to a brief lead before early pacesetter Sir Ollie regained the lead on the turn under Junior Alvarado, only to be headed by a three-wide Nacho Papa on the turn into the stretch. Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano got Shamrocket rolling on the turn and swung the 5-year-old son of Tonalist four-wide for the stretch run. Sir Ollie kicked on in the stretch but fell just shy of holding off the steady stretch bid by the favorite.

“I had a perfect trip. I didn't want to be too far back because he's the one-run type of horse. I didn't want him to think too much and didn't want him to get too much dirt in his face or get bounced around in his first race on dirt,” Castellano said. “I put him and the game and took it from there. I give all the credit to Todd Pletcher.”

Shamrocket, who finished second in the 2021 Sunshine Turf, ran 1 1/8-miles in 1:52.26 after sitting off fractions of 24.81 and 49.71 seconds for the first half-mile.

“I was a little concerned. There wasn't much pace on, and he wants to come from off of it,” Pletcher said. “Javier did a good job of not taking him out of his running style but tried to keep him close enough to be in striking distance.”

Sir Ollie held second following a game performance, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Nacho Papa.

Gatsby broke through with his first stakes victory Saturday at Gulfstream Park, capturing the $75,000 Sunshine Sprint by 1 ¼ lengths following a race-long duel with favored Cool Quest.

The Arindel homebred pressed Cool Quest past fractions of 21.75 and 44.23 seconds for the first half-mile of the six-furlong sprint for older Florida-breds, before edging away in the stretch to complete the the distance in 1:09.11.

Gatsby, the 2-1 second betting choice, was well-respected by the bettors following a gritty second-place finish to Grade 1 winner Drain the Clock in a Dec. 10 Gulfstream allowance, in which he pressed the pace before falling a half-length short of victory.

“That was kind of a preparation for this race. Having Drain the Clock in that race was really tough,” trainer Carlos David said. “When he ran a fast race like that, we knew he'd be competitive in this race.”

Leading jockey Luis Saez rode Gatsby to victory. Cool Quest finished second under Julien Leparoux, 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Pudding and jockey Javier Castellano.

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Channel Cat, a 6-year-old son of late turf champion English Channel, seeks his first triumph since capturing the Grade 1 Man o' War in May at Belmont Park for trainer Jack Sisterson.

The chestnut fended off a confrontation from dual Grade 1-winner Gufo in late stretch to win the 11-furlong Man o' War by a nose in his third start of this season. He arrives off a distant sixth in the Grade 2 Kentucky Turf Cup on Sept. 11 at Kentucky Downs, where he was forwardly-placed but finished 9 ¾ lengths back of the winner Imperador.

As the lone millionaire in the Red Smith, Channel Cat boasts earnings in excess of $1.4 million through a ledger of 29-6-3-5. He captured the Grade 2 Bowling Green in July 2019 in wire-to-wire fashion while racing for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

Channel Cat will see an equipment change for Saturday's engagement and will sport blinkers for the first time since May 2019 when finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy at Belmont.

“He lacked that little bit of spark in his past couple of starts and the addition of blinkers will help him do that,” Sisterson said. “In the race at Kentucky Downs, he didn't make the lead and didn't really finish up. I felt that there was something missing the last two races and I think blinkers will help.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will seek his fourth Red Smith triumph when piloting Channel Cat, who will carry 126 pounds from post 7.

Trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of contenders in Serve the King [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 124] and Value Engineering [post 2, Dylan Davis, 122].

Owned by Peter Brant, who captured the 1979 Red Smith with Waya, Serve the King enters off a sharp runner-up effort when completing a Brown-trained exacta in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational on October 9 at Belmont. The 5-year-old Kingman bay garnered a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, where he saved ground in fourth and made a move in between horses in mid-stretch to finish two lengths to stablemate Rockemperor.

Serve the King sports a consistent leger of 10-4-2-1 which includes a victory in the restricted John's Call on August 25 at Saratoga and a troubled fourth in the Grade 1 United Nations on July 17 at Monmouth Park.

“The horse is training really well. It looks like a really solid race,” Brown said. “He's coming off his best performance. He's one that keeps developing and one that we thought a lot of. He's well bred, very consistent and he's in good form right now.”

Also representing the Brown stable is Value Engineering, a consistent 5-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid who makes his stakes debut for Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stable.

The three-time winner has never finished off the board in 11 career starts and arrives off a rallying victory going nine furlongs four weeks ago over the Belmont inner turf. His other two victories include a third-out maiden triumph in August 2019 covering 1 3/16 miles at Saratoga and a 10-furlong score against winners off a nine-month layoff in June 2020 at Belmont.

“It's a big step but we always thought he was a stakes horse all along,” Brown said. “He lost his way a little bit and needed to breakthrough. I thought his last race was a breakout performance. He's got to step up but there aren't too many options for a horse like him this time of year, so we're giving it a shot.”

Pletcher will seek his third Red Smith coup when saddling Donegal Racing's Shamrocket, who added a stakes win to his resume last out in the Point of Entry on October 24 at Belmont going 12 furlongs.

The 4-year-old Tonalist bay rounded out the trifecta in the July 5 Grand Couturier at Belmont ahead of a late-closing third in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 31 at Saratoga.

“I thought he got the trip we were looking for last time, it was nice to see him get that stake win,” Pletcher said. “I think the cutback is fine. He's had some success going three turns and seems to run well no matter what you throw at him.”

Shamrocket will leave from post 5 carrying 124 pounds. under Javier Castellano.

Wertheimer and Frere homebred No Word, also for the Pletcher barn, was a last out fifth in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker on October 10 at Belmont. The 4-year-old Silent Name colt has earned graded stakes placings three times, including a runner-up effort in last year's Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational.

Carrying 122 pounds, No Word will be piloted by Jose Lezcano post 9.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso's Solider Rising will face elders for the first time while attempting to become the first 3-year-old to win the Red Smith since Monarch's Maze in 1999. The son of Frankel strives to make amends after cutting back to nine furlongs and finishing fifth as the beaten favorite in the Grade 2 Hill Prince on October 23 at Belmont.

Soldier Rising was second in both the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 7 and the Jockey Club Derby Invitational six weeks later at Belmont for trainer Christophe Clement.

“I think he's good enough to make the jump,” said Clement, who saddled previous Red Smith winners Flag Down [1995] and Grassy [2010]. “I thought he ran well last time, but we asked of him an impossible task being so far back.”

Solider Rising, who will carry 118 pounds, is owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and Michael J. Caruso. Jose Ortiz will ride from post 3.

Completing the field are Tide of the Sea [post 1, Luis Saez, 126], Corelli [post 6, Manny Franco, 126], Sanctuary City [post 8, Ruben Silvera, 122] and Price Talk [post 10, Eric Cancel, 122].

Known as the Edgemere Handicap until 1981, the Red Smith pays tribute to the late Pulitzer Prize winning author and sportswriter Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith, whose 55-year career in journalism covered a wide array of sports, including horseracing, for the New York Herald Tribune and the New York Times. The Red Smith will be carded as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race program. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Tonalist bay was making his 20th career start, having hit the board in five previous stakes events, including a third in the Grade 2 Bowling Green on July 31 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

A closing third last-out in a nine-furlong optional-claiming tilt over good Belmont turf on September 25, Pletcher scratched Shamrocket from a nine-furlong allowance event here on Thursday.

“When we looked at it, we felt like we'd be in a similar situation where we'd be second choice in either spot,” Pletcher said. “We felt a little more confident going a mile-and-a-half than a mile-and-an-eighth.”

With Hall of Famer Javier Castellano up, Shamrocket settled in fourth position as 7-5 mutuel favorite Tide of the Sea led the five-horse field through splits of :23.62, :48.30, and 1:13.71 over the firm turf under pressure from Beacon Hill and Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez.

Shamrocket edged closer to the field down the backstretch with Bluegrass Parkway following his lead as the pacesetters continued their battle into the final turn. Castellano angled Shamrocket three-wide out of the final turn as Tide of the Sea gave way, and outdueled a game-and-determined Beacon Hill to secure the half-length win in a final time of 2:26.70.

Bluegrass Parkway, Tide of the Sea, and Mo Gotcha rounded out the order of finish. Experienced and main-track-only entrant Moretti were scratched.

Pletcher said he was pleased to see Shamrocket, a $130,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, break through at stakes level.

“By looking at his PPs, you can tell he's a super-consistent horse,” Pletcher said. “He just hasn't had as many wins as second and thirds, but he always shows up and runs hard every time. He benefitted from a good trip today with an honest pace to run at and everything fell into place, so I'm happy for him.”

Pletcher said Shamrocket will now target the 11-furlong $200,000 Grade 2 Red Smith on November 20 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Castellano had previously guided Shamrocket to a rallying allowance win traveling 10 furlongs in June as well as a game fourth in the 11-furlong Grade 1 Man o' War in May, both at Belmont.

The veteran rider said the talented bay appreciated the stretch out in distance.

“He never gets tired. He keeps running and finished really well,” Castellano said. “He hooked up with two good horses at the top of the stretch and kept carrying himself. I didn't think I would run out of horse.”

Bred in Florida by Rustlewood Farm, Shamrocket banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 20-4-6-7. Sent to post as the 9-5 second choice, Shamrocket paid $5.90 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing returns Thursday at Belmont Park with a nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

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Cross Border tracked in third position as Channel Cat and Channel Maker – who like Cross Border were sired by English Channel – with the opening quarter-mile going in :24.75, the half in :49.37, three-quarters in 1:14.52, and a mile in 1:38.71 over a course rated good.

Under jockey Luis Saez, who won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on Essential Quality in the prior race, Cross Border was angled out slightly from the rail out of the final turn, challenging Channel Cat when straightened for home before overtaking him in the final furlong. Rockemperor made up ground in the final jumps, but Cross Border hit the wire in 2:16.36 to secure his first win since the Lubash in July of last year at the Spa.

Cross Border improved his Saratoga record to four wins and one second from five starts.

“He loves it here. This is a special horse that I love riding,” Saez said. “He always tries hard. Today, he ran huge. It set up perfect with a good pace. When we came to the top of the stretch, he really gave me that kick and he battled. He always wants to give me everything. It all went according to plan.”

Trained by Mike Maker, Cross Border started his 7-year-old campaign with consecutive third-place finishes in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park followed by the Grade 2 Pan American in March at the same track.

Returning to stakes company after running second in an allowance on June 27 at Belmont Park, Cross Border had to defeat a field that included 2019 Bowling Green-winner Channel Cat and 2018 victor Channel Maker [who dead-heated that year] to secure a second straight win in the contest. Cross Border crossed the wire second in 2020 but was elevated to first when Sadler's Joy was disqualified for causing interference.

“He's a model of consistency and durability,” Maker said. “Hopefully, we have another couple of years with him. He's handled everything. Especially here.”

Bred by Berkshire Stud and B.D. Gibbs, Cross Border went off at 6-1 and returned $14.40 on a $2 win bet. He improved to 10-8-4 in 35 career starts and approached millionaire status with his bankroll at $948,821.

The $750,000 Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer for 4-year-olds could be Cross Border's next start. The 1 1/2-mile turf contest for 4-year-olds and up is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” qualifier to the $4 million Longines Turf in November at Del Mar.

Rockemperor, trained by Chad Brown, bested Shamrocket by one length for second under jockey Joel Rosario. The Irish bred was making his first stakes appearance since running fifth in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day June 5.

“He ran really well,” Rosario said. “On the first turn, I got a little out of position, but he ran well. The horse who won ran the best.”

Shamrocket, conditioned by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., rallied from sixth to edge Channel Cat by a head for third.

Red Knight, Moon Over Miami, Channel Maker, and Breakpoint completed the order of finish.

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Belmont's Independence Day weekend slate runs July 3 through Monday, July 5, offering six stakes races including a pair of Breeders' Cup Win and You're In qualifiers led by the Grade 2 Suburban [Classic] and the $250,000 Grade 2 John A. Nerud [Sprint], which will see 4-year-olds and up contest at seven furlongs on July 4.

The holiday weekend kicks off July 3 with the $100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes and continues on July 4 with the $100,000 Manila Stakes, while the $250,000 Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes anchors a Monday, July 5 card that also offers the $150,000 Grand Couturier Stakes.

Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver, a 4-year-old Super Saver chestnut, completed his sophomore season by making the grade in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup with a three-quarter length win over Suburban-rival Mystic Guide in October at Belmont Park.

Happy Saver made his seasonal debut a winning one last out with a one-length score in an optional-claiming mile on May 28 on Big Sandy. At 7:45 a.m. Sunday, a rail-riding Happy Saver worked a half-mile in company with fellow Suburban contender Country Grammer in :49.26 on the Belmont dirt training track.

“I thought it was a good work from both. Happy Saver was just a little bit better at the end of the gallop out, but they both worked well,” said Pletcher. “We'll see how they bounce out of it. I'll talk to Elliott [Walden] at WinStar and talk about the Suburban potentially for Country Grammer. We'll firm that up tomorrow.”

Pletcher said Happy Saver's previous work – five-eighths in :59.40 on the dirt training track in company with Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Moretti – was also impressive.

“We gave him a really solid five-eighths work last week with a big gallop out; that was the one we were looking for,” said Pletcher. “He is coming off just the one start and we're stretching him out to a mile and a quarter, so we wanted to get a good one into him last week.”

Moretti, who is also targeting the Suburban, worked a half-mile in 48.75 Saturday on the Belmont dirt training track.

“We breezed Moretti yesterday, and I think we're on target with him, so we could have as many as three in there,” said Pletcher.

A 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, out of the Grade 1-winning Concerto mare Rigoletta, Moretti is a half-brother to 2017 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile-winner Battle of Midway.

Last week, WinStar Farm's Country Grammer worked a half-mile in :49.05 on June 21 in company with Mahaamel on the Belmont training track.

Country Grammer, a 4-year-old Tonalist bay, captured the Grade 1 Gold Cup last out on May 31 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. He was recently transferred to Pletcher.

Pletcher said the change of work partners for Country Grammer was a matter of timing.

“I didn't want to work him too quickly after arriving and I wanted to space him out to get there, so that's just the way it worked out from the time he arrived,” said Pletcher.

In trying to separate a number of his top sophomores, Pletcher said Shadwell Stable's Mahaamel, an Into Mischief colt bred in Kentucky by Clarkland Farm, will target next Monday's one-turn mile G3 Dwyer, while Spendthrift Farm's Following Sea, a Runhappy colt, is pointed to the nine-furlong $1 million Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 17 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

“I think we'll go in the Dwyer with Mahaamel. He's going to breeze tomorrow and assuming we're happy with that, we'll go to the Dwyer with him,” said Pletcher. “I spoke to Ned Toffey at Spendthrift and we've decided we'll go to the Haskell with Following Sea.”

A $700,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Mahaamel earned a 99 Beyer with the addition of blinkers in his second-out graduation in a seven-furlong maiden special weight on June 4 at Belmont.

Following Sea earned a career-best 100 Beyer winning a 6 ½-furlong allowance sprint against older horses by 6 1/2-lengths on June 3 on Big Sandy.

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' multiple Grade 1-winning 5-year-old Mind Control, recently transferred to Pletcher, worked a half-mile in :48.06 Sunday on the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for the John A. Nerud Stakes.

“He's been a terrific work horse since he came in,” said Pletcher. “We've been targeting this race for a while and he looks good. He's proven he's a really nice horse and he's trained the way you'd expect for a horse with his credentials. He seems like he's doing really well.”

Mind Control, a five-time graded-stakes winner for his former trainer Gregg Sacco, posted both of his Grade 1 wins at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, Ny., capturing the 2018 Hopeful Stakes as a juvenile and added the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes to conclude his sophomore season.

Pletcher said a good result in the Nerud could propel Mind Control to another Grade 1 engagement at Saratoga, with the $600,000 Forego Stakes, a seven-furlong test for older horses on August 28, a possibility.

“We'll see how he does in here, but something like the Forego could be on the radar,” said Pletcher.

Pletcher said Donegal Racing's Shamrocket, a 4-year-old Tonalist colt, could return in the $150,000 Grand Couturier Stakes, a 12-furlong Widener turf test for older horses on July 5 at Belmont. Also under consideration is the 11-furlong Grade 1 United Nations on July 17 at Monmouth Park.

“The Grand Couturier is a possibility,” said Pletcher. “He'll work tomorrow. We've kicked around the United Nations a little bit or even an allowance race at Saratoga.”

Two starts back, Shamrocket closed to finish fourth in the Grade 1 Man o' War Stakes on May 8 at Belmont Park and returned last out to win a 10-furlong turf allowance by a neck on June 11 on the same course.

Repole Stable, Phipps Stable, and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One breezed five-eighths in 1:01.90 Friday on the Belmont dirt training track.

The Union Rags chestnut, who finished second in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York, Ny., finished 18th last out in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Pletcher said Dynamic One could point to the $120,000 Curlin Stakes, a nine-furlong test for sophomores on July 30 at Saratoga.

“He'll either go to an allowance race or the Curlin,” said Pletcher. “We gave him a little bit of time after the Derby and he's done really well physically and put on some weight. We've freshened him up with a couple of races at Saratoga in mind.”

St. Elias Stable's graded stakes winner Dr Post added blinkers for a half-mile breeze Friday in :49.42 on the Belmont dirt training track.

The Quality Road colt captured the Grade 3 Westchester in his seasonal debut on May 1 at Belmont and finished fifth last out in the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 5.

“We put blinkers on him and I liked the response we got. I'm not sure where his next start will be, but it will be with the addition of blinkers,” said Pletcher.

Dr Post tracked a moderate pace from fifth in the Met Mile but wasn't able to make up ground in the stretch run as a more prominent Silver State pounced to a one-length score.

“He got too far back, and, for a race on paper that you thought would have a lot of pace, it never really developed,” said Pletcher. “He was starting to close into a pace-less race, but it just didn't work out.

“I've had blinkers in mind for a little while,” added Pletcher. “But when he won the Westchester off the layoff, I didn't want to make an equipment change. Now we can make that move.”

Pletcher saddled a pair of contenders in Con Lima and Jouster in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Wonder Again Stakes for sophomore fillies on June 3 on the Belmont turf, a key prep for the 10-furlong  $700,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks, the first leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies on July 10.

Although sent to post as the longer price at 8-1, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus, and Troy Johnson's Con Lima prevailed by a half-length, while the pacesetting Jouster settled for fourth for owners Starlight Racing and Glen Hill Farm.

Pletcher said the experienced Con Lima, who boasts a record of 11-6-4-0 with purse earnings of $379,865, showed more than enough to start the first leg of the Turf Triple.

“She's ultra-consistent. She shows up and runs hard every time,” said Pletcher. “I thought she handled the mile and an eighth really well and it gives us optimism that she'll handle the mile and a quarter.”

Pletcher said Jouster, who captured the one-mile Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes on April 3 at Keeneland, will point to the one-mile $150,000 Grade 3 Lake George Stakes on July 23 at Saratoga.

“She'll go the Lake George. She didn't quite see out the mile and an eighth, so we'll focus on shorter races,” said Pletcher. “That's why we wanted to go in the Wonder Again, to see if maybe we could stretch her out for these lucrative races at longer distances, but I think she's best at a mile.”

Lawana and Robert Low's Sweet Melania, a 4-year-old American Pharoah chestnut, breezed a half-mile in :50.97 on the Oklahoma training turf at Saratoga on Friday.

The multiple graded stakes winner captured last year's Grade 3 Wonder Again but has not raced since finishing last-of-9 in the License Fee Stakes on April 30 at Belmont.

Pletcher said Sweet Melania is under consideration for Saturday's $100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes, a one-mile Widener turf test for older fillies and mares.

“I've not firmly decided yet. I'm looking to see what options I have at Saratoga with her,” said Pletcher.

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A 4-year-old colt by Florida Derby (G1) winner Constitution, Venezuelan Hug covered a firm 1 1 /16 miles in 1:40.02. It was the colt's fifth victory in nine starts. He previously won the Sunshine Turf Preview Nov. 21 at Gulfstream West and last summer an allowance race at Saratoga. Venezuelan Hug was claimed for $40,000 at Gulfstream last March.

“He's tough,” said trainer Danny Gargan. “We're happy to have him. My assistant Carol Fisher picked him out when we claimed him. He's a pretty fun horse.”

It was Proven Strategies who broke on top in the Sunshine Turf and the Toronto Cup winner posted some fast fractions of :22.65, :45.85 and 1:09.83 while Saez rated Venezuelan Hug fifth. Saez moved Venezuelan Hug four wide around the turn and drove past his eight opponents.

Bienville Street Wins Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf
CJ Thoroughbreds LLC's Bienville Street, trained by Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Cam Gambolati, drove to the lead down the stretch under jockey Paco Lopez to win the $75,000 Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf by a neck. Mo of the West finished second, a neck in front of Sun Summers, who finished a neck in front of Lovely Luvy.

A 6-year-old mare by Street Boss, Bienville Street got position from the 9 post going into the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile turf event and raced fourth while Sugar Fix set fractions of :24.19, :48.20 and 1:12.10 while being pressed by Mo of the West. Entering the stretch, Lopez guided Bienville Street three-wide and took aim on the leaders, driving past them inside the final eighth.  Bienville Street covered the distance in 1:41.50.

It was Bienville Street's fifth win in 32 starts and second consecutive win since being equipped with blinkers by Gambolati, who saddled 1985 Kentucky Derby winner Spend a Buck.

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