Congressionalhonor takes Bay Meadows Derby

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Benefiting from a clean trip in a roughly run race, Congressionalhonor ($20.40) circled the field and won the Grade 3 $100,000 at Bay Meadows on Saturday.

Favored Hendrix appeared much the best but was trapped behind horse from the quarter pole. He had no room to move wide and finally bulled his way between horses, bothering both Kingdom Come and Big Squeeze at the eighth pole.

Congressionalhonor, a half brother of Saint Liam, circled four wide on the turn and stayed in the clear, wearing down pacesetting Talaris to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Talaris held second by a nose over Hendrix, who was a nose in front of On the Acorn before being disqualified and placed last. Winning time for the race, which was 125 feet short of 1 1/8 miles over the Longden Turf Course, was 1:48.92.

"He made a move like that last time but didn't keep going," winning jockey Russell Baze said. "Jerry (Hollendorfer the winning trainer) thought I moved a little early last time so I waited as long as I could. This horse has got a good kick, but he does ease up when he makes the lead, and he likes to come in on horses when he goes by them. I took a pretty good hold of him and just kept busy on him to make sure he kept going."

Garrett Gomez, who rode Hendrix, said, "It was just bad racing luck. It was one of those trips you dread. The colt was there for me, but I had no place to go."

Congressionalhonor, who lost photos in his past two starts, earned $55,000 as he turned the tables on Talaris, who beat him by a nose last time. He has now earned $94,388 with two wins, two seconds and a pair of thirds in eight starts.