Art G Is Back just gets up in Benny the Bull Stakes

Art G Is Back was up in the final jumps to nail Royal Squeeze on the wire in the $100,000 Benny the Bull Stakes, the last of 12 Saturday races at Gulfstream Park in South Florida.

Ridden by Victor Lebron, Art G Is Back returned $19.80 as one of three 3-year-olds in a field of 11 registered Florida-breds. The gray colt by Exchange Rate finished the seven-furlong distance in 1:22.53 over a fast track.

Royal Squeeze, the 7-2 second choice, looked like the winner for most of the running. The 7-year-old gelding took over for longshot Shoshone Brave in the upper stretch and went clear, but he just could not withstand a determined late surge by Art G Is Back. Ice Tea, the even-money favorite, finished another two lengths back in third after looming into contention at the quarter pole.

Ron Spatz trains Art G Is Back for longtime client Monarch Stables. The colt started his career with one win from seven starts but now has won three of his last four, including another non-graded stakes triumph on the main track in June.

The $2 exacta (6-11) paid $124.60, the $1 trifecta (6-11-8) returned $173.40, and the 10-cent superfecta (6-11-8-1) was worth $96.16.

The Benny the Bull, named for the champion sprinter of 2008, was the final leg of the Rainbow 6 sequence (races 7-12), with perfect 20-cent tickets paying $1,650. The jackpot carryover into an 11-race Sunday card stands at $888,015.

► Cristian Torres, easily the leading apprentice at the current summer meet and second only to Edgard Zayas atop the jockey standings overall, rode four winners earlier on the Saturday card.