Longer stretch run at Belmont gives Crazy Mason edge in Vosburgh

ELMONT, N.Y. – Crazy Mason will likely have a lot to do turning for home in Thursday’s rescheduled Grade 3, $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park. But with the elongated stretch at the new Belmont – it’s 125 feet longer than the old track – he’ll have a lot of extra time and room to get it done.

Crazy Mason is one of many contenders in what appears to be a wide-open renewal of the Vosburgh, a seven-furlong race that awards a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. The Vosburgh drew 10 horses when originally scheduled for last Saturday but postponed when last weekend’s cards were scrapped due to a nor’easter that pelted the area with strong winds and rain. All but Ignite the Light went back in for Thursday.

Crazy Mason has not won since he took the Grade 2 Carter at Aqueduct in April 2025. But in seven of his nine straight defeats, Crazy Mason has run well, including a narrow loss in the Grade 1 Forego on Aug. 29 at Saratoga. In that race, he came with a late and wide rally but hung on his left lead until very late in the stretch. He was beaten three-quarters of a length by Hymn but was a head behind T Kraft and Senior Officer, who dead-heated for second.

“The last race was a little heartbreaking,” trainer Gregg Sacco said. “He switched leads very late. If he would have switched on a dime, it could have been a different outcome.”

Crazy Mason has finished third to the likes of T O Elvis and Book’em Danno, horses who would be heavily favored in this spot. Crazy Mason has spent the summer training at Delaware Park, and Sacco felt his most recent half-mile workout in 49 seconds was among his best.

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“We put a horse five lengths in front of him, let him roll by him. Looking forward to running him,” Sacco said. “I think this is a very winnable race for him. Some of the top dogs aren’t there.”

On the re-draw of the race, Crazy Mason went from post 7 to post 9. Manny Franco rides

Senior Officer and T Kraft are back in this spot. Senior Officer had won three straight races before the Forego.

Buttah and Doc Sullivan finished one-two in the John Morrissey Stakes for New York-breds, with Doc Sullivan rallying from 12th in what was his first start off a nine-month layoff. He came back to just miss in a one-mile allowance at Saratoga. Doc Sullivan is trained by Amelia Green, who also entered the speedy Contrary Thinking.

Peter Miller has shipped in from California the late-running Moonlight, who was second in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien and third in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby, both at Del Mar.

Bring the Smoke and El Grande O complete the field.

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