Five Star Day Wires Vanderbilt

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Five Star Day set a brisk pace, then pulled clear in the stretch to win the $200,000 A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. II) on Sunday at Saratoga. Under Garrett Gomez, Five Star Day completed the six furlongs in 1:08.57 on a fast track. Five Star Day's winning time was only 1/5 of a second off Prospect Bay's stakes record of 1:08 1/5 in 1996 and only 2/5 from the track record of 1:08 posted by Spanish Riddle in 1972.

Five Star Day led by 1 1/2 lengths after a :21.88 opening quarter-mile. Just Call Me Carl ranged up to within a head-length of the lead after a half-mile run in :44.71, with Shadow Caster another head back in third and 7-5 favorite Bonapaw a close up fourth. Five Star Day spurted clear from there, opening up by 2 1/2 lengths in the stretch and winning by 1 1/2 lengths at the wire.

Delaware Township was up from last to finish second, two lengths ahead of Bonapaw. Just Call Me Carl, Shadow Caster, Iron Mask, and Men's Exclusive completed the order of finish. Texas Glitter was scratched.

"He runs very well fresh. He runs so fast and he's a big horse," said winning trainer C. Beau Greely. "We learned last year in the Phoenix that three weeks out until the Breeders' Cup isn't enough. I just planned on three or four races for him (on) the year, with the ultimate goal as the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I)".

Sent off at just over 8-1, Five Star Day returned $18.40, $7.70, and $3.70 and led a $70 exacta. Delaware Township paid $4.20 and $2.70. Bonapaw was worth $2.60 to show.

The victory was the first for Five Star Day since he won the Phoenix Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland last fall. He then finished off the board in both the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) and Hollywood Turf Express Handicap (gr. IIIT) before being given some time off. He returned to the races in May, finishing second in the Saratoga Handicap at Bay Meadows. Five Star Day also won the 1999 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (gr. III) and finished second in that year's King Bishop Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga. Five Star Day earned $120,000 for Columbine Stable and Kitchwah Stable with the win, his sixth in 15 career races. Five Star Day (Carson City -- Reggie V, by Vanlandingham) was bred in Kentucky by Robert P. McGovern.

"He might make a start before the Breeders' Cup, or I could just train him up to it," said Greely. "After the Breeders' Cup, he'll run in the DeFrancis Memorial and he'll be retired to stud next year." (Chart, Equibase)

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