Share

Latest Articles  Preakness Stakes results  Black Eyed Susan Day  Preakness Thursday  Preakness Entries  Kentucky Derby Day

Daredevil and Javier Castellano walk down Victory Lane after winning the Champagne.

Belmont Park hosted three graded stakes on Saturday afternoon, two of which are Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" qualifiers in the 2-year-old dirt divisions. Heavy rain earlier in the day downgraded the main track to sloppy and the turf to soft, however some sunlight broke through in time for the later stakes, with temperatures in the high 60's.

Daredevil leads down the stretch

The $500,000 Champagne Stakes (G1) features 2-year-olds going 1 mile around 1 turn of the main track in this "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Belmont Park debut winner Daredevil was sent off as the 8-5 favorite in the field of 6. In to challenge him included 5-2 second choice El Kabeir, a 10-length maiden winner at Saratoga last out, and 7-2 third choice Upstart, winner of the Funny Cide Stakes.

10-1 Holy Boss battled for the early lead with 4-1 I Spent It and favorite Daredevil through fractions of 22.97, 46.22, and 1:11.36 over the sloppy track, while stalked by El Kabeir. Entering the stretch, Daredevil, 4 wide throughout, easily took over the lead, opening up a 3 length advantage over Upstart at the 1/8 pole. Kept to task by Javier Castellano, Daredevil finished 2 1/2 lengths in front in 1:36.62. It was a long 12 3/4 lengths back to 18-1 longest shot The Truth Or Else third.

# Horse Jockey Win Place Show 6 Daredevil Castellano 5.40 4.00 2.80 2 Upstart Ortiz 4.30 3.10 5 The Truth Or Else Velasquez 4.50 Winning Time: 1:36.62 $2 Exacta 6-2 24.40 $2 Trifecta 6-2-5 159.00 $2 Superfecta 6-2-5-1 371.50 Results Chart                     Past winners of the Champagne

Left: Daredevil in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Todd Pletcher said, "He rated kindly and did everything you would hope one would do. He finished really well and I couldn't be more pleased. His training for us has been really impressive in the mornings. We'd never breezed him on an off track, so I was a little concerned running him the first time (on a muddy track September 13), but we felt pedigree-wise he would handle it, and he obviously does. He trains like a good horse on fast dirt, too. Sitting off the pace was a function of drawing the outside post. You draw the inside, you have to go and secure a position. We were fortunate to get a good post position and he was professional enough to take advantage of it."

Right: Daredevil heads back to the barn after the race.

Left: Daredevil in the post parade.

Right: Daredevil returns after the race. Jockey Javier Castellano said, "He's a special horse. I worked him last weekend and he was very impressive the way he did it. He didn't do anything much today; he just galloped along. The one thing I told Todd just now is that he reminded me of Bernardini when he won the Jim Dandy. He just splashed along today; he liked the track. He'll do whatever you ask him to."

Left: Second place finisher Upstart in the paddock before the race. Trainer Rick Violette said, "He was the only horse all day to make up ground into a real horse. I'm very, very mixed. I'm a little lucky to place. I think we would have been closer, right behind the speed going into the turn if he had a clean start instead of having to use a long run again." 

Right: Third place finisher The Truth Or Else returns after the race. The 18-1 longest shot raced last 6 lengths off the early pace under jockey Cornelio Velasquez then passed tired horses to gain third beaten 15 1/4 lengths. The Ken McPeek trainee improved his record to 1 win, 0 seconds, and 2 thirds in 5 starts, earning $111,950 for owner Harold Lerner LLC.

By the Moon leads down the stretch

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. sent Cavorting to the lead down the backstretch through fractions of 22.66 and 46.11 while stalked by 24-1 By The Moon. Entering the stretch, By the Moon, 3 wide, gained the lead through 3/4 in 1:11.48 and soon opened up a 3 length lead over 8-1 Wonder Gal in mid-stretch. Wonder Gal attempted to close to no avail as By the Moon cruised to a 2 1/4 length win in 1:39.42. It was a length back to Feathered third, and a neck more to favorite Condo Commando fourth.

# Horse Jockey Win Place Show 7 By the Moon Ortiz 50.50 17.40 7.20 2 Wonder Gal Velasquez 8.40 3.90 4 Feathered Castellano 4.10 Winning Time: 1:39.42 $2 Exacta 7-2 237.50 $2 Trifecta 7-2-4 1,833.00 $2 Superfecta 7-2-4-6 3.463.00 Results Chart                     Past winners of the Frizette

Left: By the Moon takes her walk down Victory Lane. Winning trainer Michelle Nevin said, "She's always been extremely smart and very professional. In her first race she did everything she was expected to do as a racehorse. Even in her second race it wasn't the greatest trip; she had to go a little wide and maybe it was speed biased that day. She still tried to make her run. Today, she just took control. It's a tough read. We had an off track. We're going to have to see how we'll handle a fast track (at Santa Anita). It will depend on what the conditions will be out there."

Right: By the Moon in the winner's circle.

Left: By the Moon in the post parade. Jockey Jose Ortiz said, "I got a perfect trip. I broke perfect, but I didn't want to take the lead so I sat second. By the 3/8 pole, I had a lot of horse but I couldn't wait any longer because I saw Irad asking Cavorting to go. I just let my filly roll and she went to the lead. Going home I just had to do my job and keep after her."

Right: By the Moon heads back to the barn after the race.

Left: Second place finisher Wonder Gal in the paddock before the race. The 8-1 shot raced 5th under Cornelio Velasquez then rallied to gain second beaten 2 1/4 lengths. The 5-1 third choice raced 4th under Javier Castellano and rallied to gain 3rd beaten 3 1/4 lengths. The Leah Gyarmati trainee improved her record to 1 win, 1 second, and 1 third in 3 starts, earning $195,000 for owner Treadway Racing Stable.

Right: Third place finisher Feathered returns after the race. The 5-1 third choice raced fourth early under Javier Castellano then passed one horse finishing third beatem 3 1/4 lengths. the Todd Pletcher trainee improved her record to 1 win, 1 second, and 1 third in 3 starts, earning $116,400 for owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Fourth place finisher and beaten favorite Condo Commando in the post parade. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said, "It's tough. Joe (Bravo) said she didn't like the track. Every track is different. It looked as if she didn't handle the track from the beginning; she stumbled coming out of the gate. We're going to scope her and see if everything is OK and go from there. Even if she had won, I don't think the Breeders' Cup was on the radar for her."

Ring Weekend wins the Hill Prince Stakes

13-1 Smooth Daddy was sent to the lead first time by and he set fractions of 26.20, 52.18, and 1:17.97 over the soft going while stalked by 8-1 Sheldon. Entering the lane, Smooth Daddy opened up a 1 1/2 length lead through 1 mile in 1:43.27, but favorite Ring Weekend, fourth early, came through late and held off 40-1 Daddy's Kid by 1/2 a length to win in 1:55.56. It was another 3/4 length back to pacesetter Smooth Daddy third. Travis Dunkelberger aboard Daddy's Kid claimed foul against Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard Ring Weekend for interference but the claim was disallowed and the result stood.

Results Chart                     Past winners of the Hill Prince

Left: Ring Weekend in the winner's circle. Winning owner Terry Finley said, "(Trainer) Graham Motion had called me (to discuss about running Ring Weekend over soft turf). He's over at the Arc. He kind of threw it on me. I've been around the business. I threw it right back on him. We felt pretty comfortable. Quite frankly, at the 1/8 pole, I really would have given anything to be on the board. He really surged the last part of it. He had to work for every part of it. It's a good win."

Right: Ring Weekend heads back to the barn after the race. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "He broke out of there and put me in a good position. I took hold, he relaxed, and he took off when I asked him. Graham has done a great job with the horse. He's still learning right now. I felt like he had more in the stretch, so I asked him but he took off and drifted out a little bit (and bumped Daddy's Kid). I took a hold as soon as possible, and it was right before the wire."

Left: Second place finisher Daddy's Kid in the post parade. The 40-1 longshot raced 6th under Travis Dunkelberger, rallied, was bumped at the 1/16 pole and just missed, beaten 1/2 length. He improved his record to 4 wins, 1 second, and 0 thirds in 9 starts, earning $166,461 for owner-trainer Reid Nagle.

Right: Third place finisher Smooth Daddy in the post parade. The 13-1 shot set the pace to late stretch then yielded to finish third beaten 1 1/4 lengths. The Tom Albertrani trainee improved his record to 2 wins, 3 seconds, and 3 thirds in 13 starts, earning $243,930 for owners Robert Baker and William Mack.

Ever Rider wins the Temperence Hill Invitational

Winning jockey Javier Castellano said, "It was an awesome trip. My horse, as you see in his past performances, always dictates the pace, but today he sat off. He did it the right way today. Two horses hooked up early, and it set it up perfectly for my horse. I like the way he finished. Usually you don't see horses finish strong at this distance, but I had a lot of horse in the end." 

Results Chart

Back to Horse-Races.Net main page