Buy the Sport pops at 48-1 in Gazelle

ELMONT, N.Y. - Buy the Sport, a New York-bred filly who had been running in Europe, made a smashing homecoming Saturday while racing for new connections as she pulled a stunning upset in the Grade 1, $250,000 for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.

After racing on the lead early, Buy the Sport was fourth at the quarter pole, but re-rallied in the stretch under Pat Day to run down favored Lady Tak and win by a half-length. Lady Tak held off Spoken Fur by a nose for second. It was 8 1/4 lengths back to Alabama winner Island Fashion in fourth.

Sent off at 48-1 in the field of eight, Buy the Sport returned $98 to win. She ran nine furlongs in 1:48.57 over a fast track.

Buy the Sport was making her first start for Peter Minikes's Georgica Stable, which earned its first graded stakes victory. European-based trainer Brian Sheehan, who purchased the filly at the Fasig-Tipton 2-year-old-in-training sales in February 2002, saddled Buy the Sport Saturday. She will now be turned over to trainer Bobby Barbara.

According to Barbara, Minikes had tried to purchase Buy the Sport six months ago. But, according to Barbara, Buy the Sport did not pass a veterinarian's examination. Minikes made a second attempt to purchase her last month and this time she passed the vet.

"About a month ago I was looking at her form in Europe; she was running against some good horses and those horses were coming back and running well, and they kept saying this horse was better on the dirt," Minikes said. "I said 'Let's take a shot and buy her and bring her over.' "

Buy the Sport broke on top and raced on the lead for first sixteenth of a mile. Day had a nice hold of Buy the Sport while Danuta took the lead before eventually giving way to Island Fashion and then Lady Tak. At the quarter pole, with Lady Tak opening up, Buy the Sport was fourth outside of Island Fashion and Spoken Fur. Inside the final furlong, Buy the Sport had something left and ran down a tiring Lady Tak late.

Lady Tak, the 4-5 favorite, was hard held early by Jerry Bailey. But entering the far turn, Bailey could not hold her any longer and Lady Tak made the lead with three furlongs to go.

"I can only fight her so long," Bailey said. "I decided to quit wrestling with her and I asked her, and she made the lead with her ears pricked. I still had a pretty strong hold of her. A mile and an eighth is stretching her, which I knew going in."

Though Buy the Sport is eligible for the Breeders' Cup, Minikes said it is "highly unlikely" she would run again this year.