Good Lord captures Don Bernhardt Stakes for third time

Good Lord continued in peak form while also demonstrating his pronounced fondness for the Ellis Park surface by winning the $50,000 Don Bernhardt Stakes for the third straight year Saturday.

With Leandro Goncalves aboard, Good Lord sped to the lead shortly after the start of the 6 1/2-furlong race before holding off a sustained run by Ghost Is Clear to prevail by a neck. The winner returned $3.80 as the solid favorite in a field of six older horses.

Ghost Is Clear, the 2-1 second choice, was always within striking distance, and although he was gaining noticeably in the final 70 yards, he just could not overcome the advantage Good Lord maintained for much of the trip under careful handling by Goncalves.

Good Lord, a 7-year-old Florida-bred gelding by Greatness, is owned by Thomas Shank and Stan Young and is based at Churchill Downs with trainer Forrest Kaelin. Not only was it his third straight victory, following back-to-back triumphs at the Churchill spring meet, but it also replicated his wins in the Bernhardt two years ago with Gabriel Saez up and last year with Jesus Castanon riding.

Goncalves was fortunate to have retained the mount on Good Lord after escaping serious injury when thrown from his mount, Ol Sanish, during the stretch run of the sixth race Saturday.

Good Lord, now a winner in 13 of 60 career starts, finished in 1:14.55 over a fast track, just off his own track record of 1:14.46, which he set in the 2012 Bernhardt. He has earned nearly $650,000.

The $2 exacta (6-5) paid $10.40, the $1 trifecta (6-5-3) returned $15.30, and the 10-cent superfecta (6-5-3-4) was worth a mere $2.33.

The Bernhardt, named for the late sports editor of the Evansville Courier-Press, is the second of four stakes at a 29-day meet that runs through Sept. 1. The next one, the Grade 3 Gardenia, once again will serve as the annual highlight at the western Kentucky track on Aug. 9.