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Pegasus World Cup Eclipse Award Winners 2025 Year in Review Santa Anita Opening Day Hong Kong Cup Results |
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 Locked returns after winning the 2025 Woodward Stakes with jockey John Velazquez aboard. |
There were five graded stakes races on Saturday at Aqueduct's "Belmont at the Big A" meeting. Conditions were typical for late September on Long Island, with overcast skies and temperatures in the mid 70's, main track fast and both turf courses firm.
The $300,000 Woodward Stakes (G2) for older horses going 1 1/8 miles originally drew a field of seven, but after four scratched out only 3 went the 1 lap of the main track, with place, show, and single-race exotic pools cancelled. Suburban (G2) winner Phileas Fogg was sent off as the 9-10 favorite
 The horses break from the gate for the Woodward Stakes. |
Jockey Kendrick Carmouche sent Phileas Fogg to a clear lead through fractions of 24.89, 48.69, and 1:12.03 while pressed by Locked with Post Time trailing. Into the stretch Phileas Fogg continued to lead through 1 mile in 1:35.74 but Locked, confidently ridden by John Velazquez, closed late to win by 3/4 length in 1:48.11. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to Post Time third.
# Horse Jockey Win Place Show 7 Locked Velazquez 4.46 - - 6 Phileas Fogg Carmouche - - 2 Post Time Russell - Winning Time: 1:48.11 $1 Pick 3 4-3-7 34.74 $1 Double 3-7 5.53Results Chart |
Left: Locked in the winner's circle. Winning jockey John Velazquez said, "You have to change everything when it's three horses. It's about if the horse will allow you to do what you want to do. He allowed me to [do] whatever I wanted to do, and I know Kendrick [Carmouche on Phileas Fogg], he's a smart guy. He's going to park me over there, so I think I'm going to be inside and whenever he sees me, he's going to come back in. He rode a really good race because he waited until past the 3/16 pole to the eighth pole to see me and then come in. Once I got out, I was close enough that I was going to be there to come out and my horse responded right away."
Right: The trophy presentation for the Woodward Stakes.
Left: Locked walks over before the race. Stu Hampson, assistant to winning trainer Todd Pletcher said, "We are very pleased. He's an honest, hard-trying horse. He has an affinity for this track. By all accounts, this horse was back in old form in Saratoga when breezing. Today, when Johnny [Velazquez] put him in the clear, he did what we were hoping he'd do. It was a tricky race [with three horses]. We can't control what we can't control. The pace scenario today was one of those things, but we knew this horse was doing great. He likes this track and we had a Hall of Famer in the saddle, and thankfully we ended up on the right end today."
Right: Close up of the finish.
Left: Second place finisher and beaten favorite Phileas Fogg returns after the race. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche said, "Perfect trip. Perfect fractions, just got run down. No excuse. I thought Locked was a horse that not getting the kickback in his face [would mean] he'd run a little better. I figured that much. He could have stayed a little closer to me, but I'm not getting the dirt kicked into his face and I said, 'that's going to be the determination the last 1/4 mile.' As you can see, he came back clean, and that's the one that ran me down. My horse ran his heart out, just second best today."
Right: Third place finisher Post Time walks over before the race. The Brittany Russell trainee improved his record to 12 wins, 3 seconds, and 5 thirds in 21 starts, earning $1,467,100 for owner Hillwood Stable.
 Patriot Spirit wins the Vosburgh Stakes |
Jockey Kendrick Carmouche sent 28-1 Light the Way to the lead out of the chute through an opening quarter of 22.76 while pressed by Patriot Spirit and stalked by 8-1 Doc Sullivan. Turning for home Light the Way tired allowing Patriot Spirit to inherit the lead through 3/4 in 1:09.12. Kept to task by Javier Castellano, Patriot Spirit drew off to win by 1 1/2 lengths over late-running Crazy Mason in 1:21.84. It was another 1/2 length back to favorite Scotland third.
Left: Patriot Spirit in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Michael Campbell said, "I expected the effort. I don't want to sound like I'm pompous or anything because it is difficult to win a horse race, there is nothing more difficult. On this occasion, in this spot, with this horse being that right, I didn't think he could get beat. I'm pretty good at that, normally."
Right: Patriot Spirit returns after the race. Winning jockey Javier Castellano said, "Really fast. I spoke to the trainer this morning and he said, 'he's really fast out of the gate, if you've got the speed, it's OK, don't get panicked. Just save something for the end.' That's what I did. He broke so well out of the gate, Kendrick [Carmouche on Light the Way] is the speed horse in the race it seemed to me on paper. He dictated the pace and my horse was a target. He was looking for me. He ran huge. Good race, speed and fast, and finished good, too."
Left: Patriot Spirit walks over before the race. Campbell added, "He will be going to Keeneland for that meet and then, of course, we'll go by Del Mar, then I don't know what we'll do. I don't like to get too far ahead of myself. I understand that Book'em Danno is not going to run in the Sprint this year, that is huge. That affects a lot of people with decision making."
Right: Patriot Spirit heads back to the barn. Castellano added, "Not too many horses do that when they go fast at the beginning of the race - they always tend a little bit to slow down, but he didn't. He fought all the way to the end, I like that. Galloping out good. Beautiful. It's a great feeling (to go to the Breeders' Cup)."
Left: Second place finisher Crazy Mason in the post parade. Jockey Manny Franco said, "He ran great again. He always tries his best out there. He's running with the best horses in the country, so I'm happy with the way he ran. I don't want to lose so much ground with him because he's coming from far behind, so I try to save as much ground as I can. The rail was wide open, so I take it. He can run anywhere you put him, so he ran good."
Right: Third place finisher and beaten favorite Scotland returns after the race. The Bill Mott trainee improved his record to 5 wins, 4 seconds, and 3 thirds in 16 starts, earning $693,960 for owner-breeder LNJ Foxwoods.
 Rebel's Romance winner of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes |
Redistricting was quickest away through an opening quarter of 24.78 before Rebel's Romance took over first time by through fractions of 49.26, 1:13.75, 1:38.69, and 2:02.50. Through the stretch, Rebel's Romance under Frankie Dettori drew off to win by 3 1/2 lengths over Redistricting in 2:25.72. It was a neck back to El Cordobes third.
Left: Rebel's Romance in the winner's circle. Winning jockey Frankie Dettori said, Flavien [Prat on Redistricting] was going too slow, I said let him slide. He was doing it on his own rhythm and I know he stays, so just half way down the turn when I went through the gears, he went. I didn't need anything, I knew I was well clear. What a lovely horse. Seven-year-old, still competing at the highest level. Travels really well. For a big unit, he corners really well because the inner track can be really tricky. Well done to the team."
Right: Rebel's Romance in the paddock before the race. Alex Merriman, assistant to winning trainer Charlie Appleby said, Obviously, they went decent enough fractions to start it and when they tried to slow it up, Frankie said he let him stride on. He's obviously a lovely, big horse, he's got a big stride on him – there's no point in holding him back. He just grinds it out and as you saw turning [for home], he gallops away. He's a proper horse. He ships home tomorrow and he'll have a little quiet time at home and then we ship out to Del Mar the end of October I suppose. Fingers crossed. He's a very special horse. If he could win three Breeders' Cups, I think it would be pretty special. I haven't spoken to Charlie yet, but I presume that's the plan. He's a very sound horse. He's very straightforward."
Left: Second place finisher Redistricting in the post parade. Jockey Flavien Prat said, "I had a good trip. I was on the lead for the first part. I was covered by Rebel's Romance, but in a good spot and he ran a good race."
Right: Third place finisher El Cordobes walks over before the race. Jockey John Velazquez said, "He was traveling beautifully all the way to the 3/8 pole. When I pulled him out at the 1/4 pole, 3/16 pole thinking he was going to kick he kind of stayed the same."
 R Disaster winner of the Gallant Bloom Stakes |
Jockey Jose Ortiz sent R Disaster to the lead out of the chute through fractions of 22.10 and 44.73 while pressed by Senza Parole and stalked by 27-1 Patricia Ann. Turning for home, R Disaster opened up a 3 length lead through 3/4 in 1:08.53, and cruised to a 3 1/2 length win over Patricia Ann in 1:14.78. It was another 2 lengths back to Sterling Silver third.
Left: R Disaster in the winner's circle. Winning jockey Jose Ortiz said, "She broke very alert and obviously she's always very good from the gate. We got the one hole – that helps a lot. She was traveling very nice every step of the way and she was much the best. I give her all the credit today – the connections, Saffie (Joseph Jr., trainer), I was just the passenger. Just break good, make sure to call her at the right time. She was traveling very easy and I was very happy throughout the race."
Right: R Disaster returns after the race. Winning co-owner Anthony Mattera said, "Didn't see that coming. We're always nervous, but when we saw even money, that New York money is always right, so we're happy to follow that. Couldn't be happier. You always say, 'well if she throws a clunker today, she has already done so much for us.' We're not big-time owners, and she's a horse of a lifetime for me. It's incredible. Saffie is very transparent with us where he tells us where he thinks she has the best chance to win. We want to go out there and win stakes races, and this was impressive today. Jose [Ortiz] did a great job. This is a dream come true. I grew up in south Jersey, so to come up here and win feels great."
Left: Second place finisher Patricia Ann heads out to the track before the race. Jockey Javier Castellano said, "Second best, broke well out of the gate and got a good position in the race. I'm happy with the way she was traveling in the turn and then the winner never came back to us. Good second, just second best today."
Right: Third place finisher Sterling Silver walks over before the race. The Bill Mott trainee improved her record to 9 wins, 7 seconds, and 7 thirds in 34 starts, earning $1,143,051 for owner Mark Anderson.
 Alogon winner of the Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes |
Jockey Kendrick Carmouche sent Dancing Buck to the lead through fractions of 22.02 and 44.20 while pressed by 10-1 Senbei and stalked by Alogon. Turning for home Dancing Buck continued to lead through 5f in 55.76 before tiring. Alogon under Dylan Davis gained the lead and held off late-running 17-2 Bold Journey to win by a neck in 1:07.63. It was a length back to favorite Twenty Six Black third.
Left: Alogon heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Dylan Davis said, "Ned gave me free rein here - if we were to break sharp then I would've taken the frontrunning style, but I saw Kendrick [Carmouche on Dancing Buck] and Manny [Franco on Senbei] going onto it, so I opted to sit third there in a comfortable spot. Alogon wanted to challenge them early, I thought it would've made it too much for me late, so I took a little hold of him, let him settle down until the top of the lane, then asked him there. He did great. He fought off some challengers."
Right: Alogon returns after the race. Winning trainer Ned Allard said, "This horse has been a model of consistency. He's a 6-year-old, but he's a gelding, so who knows? King Leatherbury had [Ben's Cat] that won as a 10-year-old, so we still might have some good years in front of us. He ran super races [this year] and we got beat a sliver the last time – one jump after the wire, we were there. This was a sweet victory. [Dylan Davis] rode him absolutely perfectly. It was a horse race, that's for sure. It wasn't a cinch. We'll probably come back in the [Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship], and that will probably wrap up his year."
Left: Second place finisher Bold Journey in the post parade. Jockey Junior Alvarado said, "He is a hard-trying guy. He did what I asked him, fell a little back, pace was a little quick, so we came from the off the pace. When I asked him, he was there for me, just fell a couple steps short today. He tried very hard for me. He is an old pro."
Right: Third place finisher and beaten favorite Twenty Six Black returns after the race. The Horacio De Paz trainee improved his record to 6 wins, 4 seconds, and 2 thirds in 16 starts, earning $517,310 for owner-breeder Roger Cimbora, Jr.
Photos courtesy Nancy Rokos
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