Saint Stephen too good in Clark

Saint Stephen did not need a perfect trip to win the $69,250 Henry Clark at Pimlico, but he got one anyway.

Saint Stephen, under Horacio Karamanos, sat a few lengths off the dueling leaders down the backstretch of the one-mile turf race, cut the corner turning for home, and galloped away from his seven 3-year-old and up rivals.

Saint Stephen ($4.60) defeated Foufa's Warrior by 3 1/2 lengths, with Rubi Echo another 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Owned by Charles and Susan Harris and trained by Christophe Clement, Saint Stephen covered the mile on firm turf in 1:35.56.

Mach Speed jumped to the lead out of the gate in the Clark, but jockey Luis Garcia hustled Tam's Terms - coupled with Foufa's Warrior - alongside entering the first turn, and the two raced side by side down the backstretch. Saint Stephen, meanwhile, sat in fourth place while the two leaders burned themselves out. Rubi Echo looped the leaders turning into the straight and briefly looked like he was gone, but Saint Stephen came through on the inside and had the race under control with a furlong to go. Rubi Echo tired late and was caught by Foufa's Warrior.

The victory was the first in almost a year for Saint Stephen, a 6-year-old Saint Ballado horse. In three previous starts this year, Saint Stephen's best finish was a fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the Grade 3 Appleton at Gulfstream.