Pay Any Price fends off late challenge in Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint

The ageless Pay Any Price added another chapter to his already impressive legacy after holding on desperately before posting a nose decision over Ambassador Luna to capture Sunday’s Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint, winning the event for the third time in his career. The $75,000 Umphrey had been postponed one day after failing to fill, as originally scheduled, for Saturday.

Pay Any Price, now 10, won for the 19th time in 33 starts while snapping a rare three-race losing streak in the process. Owned in partnership by Averill Racing Stable and Matties Racing Stable, Pay Any Price is trained by Georgina Baxter, who also is his regular exercise rider.

The five-furlong Umphrey scratched down from 10 to just five starters and was decided over a turf course rated good on Sunday. Two of those scratches also came from the Baxter barn, morning-line favorite Faction Cat and main-track-only entrant Lady’s Island.

With Edgard Zayas aboard, Pay Any Price broke alertly and was hustled to the lead, held a clear advantage settling into the stretch, but was all out to narrowly prevail. Ambassador Luna stalked the winner from the outset, steadied briefly after lugging in behind the leader near midstretch, surged late, and just missed. Krysto Skye raced well placed along the inside but lacked a closing punch.

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Pay Any Price won the Umphrey in 2017 and 2018 and also is the course and North American record holder for five furlongs. He returned $3.20.

“This horse is amazing, isn’t he?,” Baxter said. “I know his last two runs were questionable, but you can never write this horse off. You have to respect him every time he steps on the racetrack. He’s special to me. He’s special to everyone in the barn. His worst enemy is his attitude, but he’s turned into our best friend. He’s goofy and quirky, but he’s still so good and so fast and still running well at 10 years old.”

Earlier in the day, Belle Laura won for the second time in as many starts since joining trainer Juan Avila’s barn when registering a convincing 4 1/2-length victory over Great Sister Diane in the $60,000 In the Breeze Stakes, also decided on turf.

Belle Laura switched tactics a bit in the one-mile In The Breeze after capturing his 2020 debut in wire-to-wire fashion last month, rallying from just off the pace to the easy win under jockey Hector Berrios. A 4-year-old daughter of Mucho Macho Man owned by GU Racing Stable, Belle Laura paid $7.60.