Heckle leads throughout

ELMONT, N.Y. - Heckle made amends for his fourth-place finish as the favorite in last month's Three Chimneys Juvenile on Kentucky Derby Day by running six rivals off their feet to win Saturday's Grade 3, $110,200 by 3 1/4 lengths at Belmont Park.

Adage, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, rallied up the rail to get second by one length over stablemate Hasslefree. Pretty Wild Again, Korsakoff, 6-5 favorite Best to Be King, and Snow Eagle completed the order of finish.

It was the third juvenile stakes win of the year for trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the Three Chimneys with Limehouse and the Flash with Chapel Royal.

Heckle was the favorite in the Three Chimneys, but he was coming back just two weeks after equaling the track record winning his maiden at Keeneland and was bounced around in the early stages of the Three Chimneys. Pletcher deduced the horse displaced his palate in the race.

Equipped with a tongue tie for the first time, Heckle, breaking from post 7 under John Velazquez, outsprinted three rivals to the lead, set fractions of 22.24 seconds, 45.64, 57.96, and covered 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.70 under a drive. Heckle returned $7.90 as the second choice.

"I thought it was an excellent field, so anytime you can win open lengths over a field like that I think it's pretty impressive,' said Pletcher, who trains Heckle for Dogwood Stable. "He's obviously very fast and was the fastest of the fast today.'

Pletcher scratched Limehouse from the Tremont and will run that horse in next Sunday's Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs. Chapel Royal will make his next start in the Sanford Stakes July 24 at Saratoga. Pletcher said Heckle may be a candidate for the Sanford as well.

Bossanova dominates in Mike Lee

Bossanova used his speed and class to romp to a 13 1/4-length victory in the $117,000 Mike Lee Stakes. Acceptable Venture rallied for second, 6 1/4 lengths ahead of Limone Forte.

Infinite Justice finished fourth. About a sixteenth of a mile past the wire, Infinite Justice fell, unseating jockey Aaron Gryder. Gryder landed on his head and was taken via ambulance to North Shore University Hospital, complaining of neck and back pain.

Bossanova, a son of Pine Bluff, was making his first start against New York-breds and first for trainer James Bond. Under Edgar Prado, Bossanova quickly sped to the lead and carved out splits of 22.65 seconds, 45.47, 1:10, and covered the seven furlongs in 1:22.93. Bossanova, owned by Lorraine and Rod Rodriguez, returned $3.40 as the favorite.

The victory was the third on the Saturday card for trainer James Bond, who also won his third Mike Lee in the last four years.

The Mike Lee is the first leg of the Big Apple Triple, which also includes the $125,000 New York Derby at 1 1/16 miles at Finger Lakes July 26 and the $150,000 Albany Handicap at nine furlongs at Saratoga Aug. 20.

Bond said he is more likely to point Bossanova to the Grade 1 King's Bishop at seven furlongs at Saratoga than trying to stretch Bossanova out.

* Friday, odds-on favorite Willa On the Move ($3.60) was put up from second to first in the $65,500 Xtra Heat Stakes after the stewards deemed she was bothered in deep stretch by Redhead Riot, who finished first by a head. Redhead Riot, who covered the six furlongs in 1:09.74, was placed second.