Cross Border gets Bowling Green win after Sadler's Joy disqualified

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though he crossed the wire second in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes, Cross Border remained perfect over the Saratoga turf course.

Cross Border, under Jose Ortiz, was beaten a neck by Sadler’s Joy in the Bowling Green, but following a trainer’s objection, jockey’s objection, and a stewards’ inquiry, Sadler’s Joy was disqualified for interference and placed fourth, and Cross Border was elevated to first. Also moved up in the order of finish were Highland Sky to second and Channel Maker to third. Sadler’s Joy was fourth followed by Marzo and Dot Matrix.

Pillar Mountain scratched.

The win was the fifth for Cross Border in as many starts over Saratoga’s turf course. It also came 10 days after he won the Lubash Stakes for New York-breds here July 22.

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Mike Maker, the trainer of Cross Border, said the Lubash wasn’t a hard race on his 6-year-old New York ridgling of English Channel.

“He’s got a high energy level, he held his weight well, it was just a mere workout the other day,” Maker said.

It was the seventh turf stakes victory for Maker since July 12, and his third at Saratoga. He won the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch with Somelikeithotbrown here July 26 and won the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth with Aquaphobia.

Maker had a solid 1-2 punch in the Bowling Green. Marzo, having not run since March, ran out to a five-length lead under Irad Ortiz Jr. and maintained a clear advantage through a mile in 1:40.04.

He still had a length lead at the eighth pole, but the competition was coming. Sadler’s Joy, four wide in the lane under Javier Castellano, and Cross Border were moving in tandem.

Sadler’s Joy, after being hit right-handed by Castellano, bumped Cross Border, who then came over on Channel Maker, forcing jockey Manny Franco to take up. While Sadler’s Joy was outfinishing Cross Border, Highland Sky oufinished Channel Maker by three-quarters of a length for third.

That is why the stewards placed Sadler’s Joy fourth.

New York Racing Association steward Brook Hawkins said when the incident happened Franco “had to stop riding and take up and then get back down and get riding and got beat three-quarters of a length.”

Braulio Baeza, the New York State Gaming Commission steward, said that even if Channel Maker had finished third, Sadler’s Joy would still have been disqualified to second.

The final time of the Bowling Green was 2:14.77 for the 1 3/8 miles. Cross Border returned $6.40 as the second choice.