Stewards place Storming Saint over barnmate

Raise the Bridle finished first by a neck in the at Sunland Park on Saturday, but was disqualified for impeding his stablemate, Storming Saint, whose number was put up by the stewards. Raise the Bridle was placed second, and now both he and his stablemate are headed to the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby, said their trainer, Henry Dominguez.

Storming Saint ($5.60) races for Lathrop Hoffman. Raise the Bridle is owned by Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine, the New Mexico-based partnership that last year won the Kentucky Derby with Mine That Bird.

Raise the Bridle was with the pace for much of the 1 1/16-mile race Saturday, while Storming Saint settled in seventh in the early stages. Storming Saint moved to challenge Raise the Bridle into the stretch, but was bumped by that one as the two dueled to the wire. It was another 8 3/4 lengths back in third to Amen Baby.

Following the race, Luis Contreras, who rode Storming Saint, claimed foul against Raise the Bridle and his rider, Juan Ochoa.

The winning time, on a fast track, was 1:45.27.

The Sunland Park Derby will be run on March 28.