Hot maiden winners Championofthenile and Get Jets were the fancy of the betting public, but it was the stakes winner Sudden Surprise who got the better of those two, turning back an inside bid from Get Jets to win Sunday’s $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes for New York-bred juvenile males by a neck at Belmont Park.
Port Douglas, a 14-1 outsider, gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his 15th career win in the $132,732 Beresford Stakes for 2-year-olds at The Curragh in Ireland on Sunday.
After what essentially was a paid workout Saturday in the Zenyatta Stakes, Beholder was in excellent condition Sunday morning here at Santa Anita, according to trainer Richard Mandella, who said he was in the process of formulating a plan for preparing Beholder for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
Bayern, winner of the 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic, was announced as retired Saturday night by owner Kaleem Shah. He had finished third Saturday afternoon as the favorite in the Awesome Again, which marked his fifth straight loss since the BC Classic.
Triple Crown winner American Pharoah worked five furlongs in 1:00 Sunday morning at Santa Anita, his second work since returning to serious training following his loss last month in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.
The fact that Whitney and Met Mile winner Honor Code is racing at Belmont this coming Saturday in the Kelso and not the Jockey Club Gold Cup is a huge reason the Kelso is the far more interesting race of the two. But it’s not the only reason. The prospective field for the Kelso in general is simply more compelling than the prospective field for the Gold Cup, and frankly, I find this to be messed up. The Kelso should never, under any circumstance or in any way, eclipse the Jockey Club Gold Cup, one of our truly great events.
Little Ginger won Saturday night’s ninth race at Remington Park at 101-1 to trigger meet-high payoffs at the track that puts on its Oklahoma Derby Day card Sunday. Little Ginger returned a season-high $204 after she fought for a half-length score over South Wimbledon in the $15,000 claiming race for fillies and mares at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf. Alex Jimenez was aboard for trainer Lucio Espiritu.
Venus Delight and driver James MacDonald surged to the lead in deep stretch to capture the C$300,000 Milton Stakes Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack.
The anticipated battle between Wakizashi Hanover and Freaky Feet Pete never materialized at Hoosier Park on Saturday night, but the crowd got their money’s worth as the former posted an impressive 1:48 4/5 victory and Bee A Magciain dominated her male counterparts once again one race later.
Travel Playlist and driver Marcus Miller crushed the field in the $225,000 New York Sire Stakes championship final for juvenile pacing colts and geldings on Saturday night at Yonkers Raceway. The son of Art Major flashed explosive speed in the opening quarter getting by Joe Larry And Curly through a 26 2/5 opening quarter and then cruising to victory in 1:54 3/5.
