Floral Park: Bauhauser gets graded

Bauhauser, a group winner in Argentina, scored her first American stakes win in Saturday's $108,500 Floral Park Handicap at Belmont Park.

Bauhauser, under Richard Migliore, was a three-quarter-length winner over the 1-2 favorite, Shine Again. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to Literary Light in third. Forest Heiress, Raging Fever, and Lilah completed the order of finish in the Grade 3.

Literary Light jumped out to the early lead in the six-furlong Floral Park and set an opening quarter-mile in 22.13 seconds. Down the backstretch, Forest Heiress and Bauhauser joined Literary Light. After a half-mile in 45.02, Bauhauser had a slim lead and began to lengthen her advantage with a furlong remaining.

Shine Again, the 120-pound highweight under Jose Santos, was running strongly in deep stretch, but ran out of ground.

Bauhauser ($13.20) covered the distance in 1:10.84 over a fast track. The winner carried 115 pounds, two pounds over her assigned weight.

Migliore said he believed the best way of beating Shine Again was to have the favorite chasing him during the stretch run.

"My horse has a lot of natural speed, but she took a stutter-step at the break," Migliore said. "She took me to the [lead] after that. I figured I needed to have a little jump on Shine Again."

Steve Asmussen trains Bauhauser, a 5-year-old daughter of Numerous, for Heiligbrodt Racing Stable.