Bango shrugs off sluggish start, takes Aristides Stakes
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Bango was among the last away from the gate, but, six furlongs later, was first at the wire for a home-court victory in the $150,000 Aristides Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Bango ($10.60), with Marcelino Pedroza in the irons for trainer Greg Foley, was ninth in the field of 10 sprinters after the first quarter-mile of the Aristides - not an ideal position for a horse who is typically in the top three at that early point of call.
"I wasn't very confident the first eighth of a mile," Foley said. "He got away bad. He ran an incredible race to win. ... I didn't know how he would run coming from that far back."
But up front, Edgemont Road was providing a strong pace to run into. The longshot zipped through an opening quarter in 21.53 seconds, and still held a tenuous lead through the half in 44.97 seconds, although he was about to be swallowed up by the field.
Bango came six wide into the lane to arrive on the scene late. Still eighth at the quarter pole and with about three lengths to make up, he accelerated to poke a head in front in midstretch. Through the final stages, he held off a surge from another late closer, Long Range Toddy, who had been last of 10 after the opening quarter. At the wire, it was Bango by half a length, stopping the clock in 1:09.65 for the six furlongs.
Sir Alfred James finished a close third, three-quarters of a length behind Long Range Toddy, after stalking in contention throughout. It was another 1 1/4 lengths to Mojo Man in fourth, followed by Tough Love, Royal Daaher, Empire of Gold, Haunt, favored Tap It to Win, who never threatened, and the fading Edgemont Road.
Bango, whose only previous stakes win came in the 2020 Animal Kingdom Stakes on Turfway's synthetic surface, has now won five of eight outings at Churchill Downs. He has missed the board only once locally, that being when he finished sixth, but beaten only 2 1/2 lengths, against a salty field in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes last out.
"He loves Churchill Downs, as you can see from his record here," Foley said, adding that he would like to find a spot to run the colt before the current meeting ends June 26. "He's tough here."
*** Favored Set Piece ($4.40) gave owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms, trainer Brad Cox, and jockey Florent Geroux a second stakes winner on the card, coasting to a four-length victory on the turf in the Douglas Park Overnight Stakes. Earlier, the trio won the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes with Fulsome.
This was the fourth victory in his last five starts, and second consecutive victory at Churchill Downs, for Set Piece. The gelding owns wins in the Prairie Bayou Stakes last December at Turfway Park, and the Opening Verse Overnight Stakes on April 29 on the Churchill turf.
The Douglas Park capped an all-stakes sequence that made up the 20-cent Derby City 6, for which the pool ballooned to $1,236,502 for the mandatory payout after coming into the day with a $150,655 carryover. The wager returned $1,643.14 after a sequence that included several upset winners. The winners in the sequence were Mighty Heart ($21.40), Envoutante ($2.80), Gam's Mission ($14.20), Fulsome ($5.40), Bango ($10.60), and Set Piece.