Red Knight proves best in Allen Jerkens Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After running two miles in Saturday’s $100,000 Allen Jerkens Stakes, it took the photo finish camera to separate race winner Red Knight and hard-luck runner-up Soglio who finished heads apart in the main event on an 11-race program that featured five other turf stakes.

Red Knight raced well back early in a spaced-out field chasing pacesetter Ekhtibaar, circled horses to take the lead on the final bend, drew well clear in early stretch then was all out to withstand the 6-5 Soglio. The latter had to steady in traffic leaving the backstretch the final time, rallied willingly once extricating himself from trouble, but could not get past the winner.

The victory was the sixth in 11 career starts for the New York-bred Red Knight, a 4-year-old son of Pure Prize trained by Bill Mott for owner-breeder Trinity Farm. He was ridden to victory by Luis Saez.

Red Knight completed the grueling distance in 3:19.87 over the firm course and paid $13.

“Luis made a tactical move leaving the backstretch. He got the jump on the favorite, who looked like he had a little trouble. It worked out well for our horse,” said Ken McCarthy, Mott’s longtime assistant

Breaking the Rules scores first stakes win in Tropical Park Derby

A change in both surface and equipment this summer has suddenly turned Breaking the Rules from a nice allowance horse into a stakes winner following his decisive 3 1/2-length victory over Sniper Kitten in the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby.

Trainer Shug McGaughey put Breaking the Rules on the grass and gave him a set of blinkers during the final weekend of the Saratoga meet and has since been rewarded with a second-place finish and two victories in three starts.

In the Tropical Park Derby, Breaking the Rules exploded from just off the pace and proved much the best while giving jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. his fourth win on the card.

Sniper Kitten rallied belatedly to finish second while never menacing the winner.

Breaking the Rules, a 3-year-old homebred son of War Front owned by the Phipps Stable, paid $3.80

“Being by War Front, I was always anxious to get him on the grass, and I put the blinkers on just to help him focus and get him in the game a little more,” said McGaughey. “A horse got loose and he got carried about eight wide in his first start on the grass, then he came back and won an allowance race kind of like he did today. He just exploded and ran away from those horses. I’m pleased with his progression and pleased to win this race since I’d been beat in it a couple of times when I thought I ran the best horse.”

Vision Perfect wires field in Janus

Vision Perfect proved a popular winner of the $100,000 Janus, the first of the six stakes on Saturday's card. The son of Pollard's Vision took the running right to speedy local turf-sprint hero Pay Any Price, disposing of that rival in early stretch before maintaining a comfortable 2 1/2-length margin to the wire over Extravagant Kid. That one raced well placed and rallied mildly to be second-best, finishing another 2 1/2 lengths in front of the tiring Pay Any Price while never menacing the winner.

The win was the second this month for Vision Perfect, who captured the Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs four weeks earlier. Trained by Jason Servis for Mr Amore Stable and ridden to victory by Irad Ortiz Jr., Vision Perfect ran five furlongs in a quick 54.71 seconds and paid $4.60.

Girls Know Best edges Morticia in Abundantia

Girls Knows Best put her abundant speed to good use, leading every step of the way en route to a three-quarter-length victory over Morticia in the $100,000 Abundantia Stakes.

Girls Knows Best, a 4-year-old daughter of Caleb’s Posse, was cleverly rated on the lead by jockey Jose Ortiz while pressed early by Smiling Causeway. Girls Knows Best readily shook off her early pursuer when roused into the stretch then held safe a mild rally from Morticia. The latter slipped along the rail while well placed throughout, but proved no match for the winner. It was another length back to the tiring Smiling Causeway.

Fire Key, who shipped to South Florida off a pair of stakes wins in Maryland and New York, broke poorly and was never a factor.

Girls Knows Best, second in the 2017 Abundantia, closed out her 2018 campaign with 5 victories in 11 starts and earnings in excess of $326,000. She covered five furlongs 55.20 seconds and paid $8.00. Girls Knows Best is trained by Eddie Kenneally.

Albertrani-trained fillies 1-2 in Tropical Park Oaks

Trainer Tom Albertrani swept the top two placings in the $75,000 Tropical Park Oaks after Too Charming outlasted Andina Del Sur in the turf fixture for 3-year-old fillies.

Too Charming set all the pace under Paco Lopez then narrowly withstood a final surge from her uncoupled stablemate. Andina Del Sur, winner of the Grade 3 Florida Oaks earlier this season at Tampa Bay Downs, raced well placed under Saez, finished willingly once clear for the drive, and just missed. It was another length farther back to third-place finisher Semper Sententiae.

Too Charming is a Godolphin homebred by Bernardini. She had finished a narrowly beaten second in her only previous stakes try this summer at Monmouth Park. Too Charming completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.21 and returned $23.80.

Si Que Es Buena notches first U.S. win in Via Borghese

Si Que Es Buena swept to the lead in early stretch then withstood a belated bid from the 7-5 favorite Holy Helena to register a neck victory in the $75,000 Via Borghese. Peru finished third.

Si Que Es Buena, an Argentinian-bred mare, joined trainer Graham Motion’s barn earlier this season. She finished a late-striding fourth, beaten just a length, making her U.S. bow last month in the Grade 3 Long Island at Aqueduct.

Holy Helena was a bit unlucky in defeat, having to steady along behind the leaders approaching the stretch, finishing willingly once clear at the top of the lane before falling just short with her final rally.

Si Que Es Buena paid $13 after covering 1 3/16 miles in 1:56.75.