Battle Station by a neck in Rego Park Stakes

Battle Station certainly was focused in his first race as a gelding, digging in resolutely through the stretch run of the $100,000 Rego Park Stakes at Aqueduct on Sunday to defeat Morning Breez by a neck.

Battle Station moved up to vie for the early lead inside Stoney Bennett, and the pair laid down rapid fractions of 22.09 and 45.59 seconds over the sloppy track. Those splits stand out in contrast to the slower late fractions of the six-furlong sprint for New York-bred 3-year-olds.

Morning Breez moved up to challenge for the lead three wide nearing the stretch and looked headed to victory. But Battle Station fought on under jockey Martin Garcia, as Stoney Bennett dropped from contention, and he and Morning Breez put on a show to the wire.

Battle Station, trained by Wesley Ward, paid $8.20 as the third choice in the five-horse field. He completed the course in 1:12.30, meaning the final quarter-mile went in 26.71 seconds. The top two covered the final furlong in 13.82 following five furlongs in 58.48.

The victory was the second of the day for Garcia, who now has 12 Aqueduct wins since shifting his tack from Southern California in late November. The Rego Park is his first Aqueduct stakes score.

"I knew I was in position 1, and my horse likes to run on the lead," Garcia said. "I just gave him a chance to win. And he showed me at the end. It looked like the horse outside was going by me, but then my horse just kept coming and came back, and we won."

Battle Station is now 3 for 6, with two of his losses coming at mile. In his start prior to the Rego Park, he tired to finish fourth, beaten 11 lengths, in the statebred Damon Runyon Stakes, a one-mile race on Jan. 15. He was gelded soon thereafter.

New York Hero raced erratically and may not have liked getting mud kicked into his face. He dropped back on the far turn while racing behind horses, then found his best stride in the stretch when taken well out on the track and into the clear. He was closing ground late and finished third, beaten 2 1/2 lengths.

Stoney Bennett finished fourth, 8 1/4 lengths behind New York Hero. Analyze Your Luck, making his first start since June, broke awkwardly and never reached contention.