THE RIGHT ANGLE: Afleet Express (rail) beats Fly Down by a scant nose before 45,764 at Saratoga Aug. 28 in the Travers Stakes.
Photo: COGLIANESE PHOTOS/ALEX EVERS
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens felt Afleet Express was getting good at the right time. He just didn’t know if it would be good enough to beat the top 3-year-olds in the country.
Afleet Express split horses approaching the final furlong while taking over with Javier Castellano aboard, then desperately held off a late charge by Fly Down to win the “Mid-summer Derby” by a nose. Covering 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.28 on the fast dirt, Afleet Express earned his first grade I win and gave the trainer his first win in the prestigious race.
Gainesway Farm, which stands leading second-crop sire Afleet Alex at its Lexington nursery, owns the winner along with Martin Cherry. He was bred in Kentucky by McMillin Brothers and James Devaney.
Just Jenda went out a winner when she overtook odds-on favorite Malibu Prayer in upper stretch and rolled to an easy 3 1/2-length victory in the $294,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 29 . It was the fourth stakes win in five races at Monmouth Park for the 4-year-old daughter of Menifee.
Photo: EQUI-PHOTO
Richard's Kid successfully defended his title in the $1 million Pacific Classic Presented by TVG (gr. I) when he came from off the pace to edge Crowded House by three-quarters of a length at Del Mar Aug. 28.
The race was nearly a carbon copy of last year's, with Richard's Kid, ridden by Mike Smith for the the first time since then, going five paths wide out of the final turn to run the leaders down in the stretch. The big difference was the odds. Last year, the 5-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid went off at 24-1. This time it was 9-2.
Richard's Kid became the third horse to win back-to-back renewals of the Pacific Classic, which is the only $1 million race in California. The others were Tinners Way (1994-95) and Skimming (2000-01), both trained by Bobby Frankel for Juddmonte Farms.
Persistently lived up to her name when she wore down reigning Horse of the Year and odds-on choice Rachel Alexandra for a one-length victory in the $294,000 Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Aug. 29
Persistently is a a 4-year-old Kentucky homebred daughter of Smoke Glacken --Just Reward, by Deputy Minister, who registered her first stakes win in the Personal Ensign. Saratoga once again lived up to its reputation as the ""The Graveyard of Favorites.""
If there was any question about who is the top 3-year-old sprinter on the East Coast, Discreetly Mine answered it emphatically Aug. 28. The son of Mineshaft rolled through blistering fractions on the speed-favoring Saratoga main track and held off a pair of rivals to win the $250,000 NetJet King’s Bishop Stakes for his first grade I win.
Rightly So found grade I success for the first time when she led all the way in the $250,000 Ballerina Stakes over a speed-favoring Saratoga main track Aug. 28.
Trainer Bob Baffert scratched two of his three entrants in the $300,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes (gr. I) at Del Mar Aug. 28, but the only one he needed was El Brujo, who went gate-to-wire to give the Hall of Fame conditioner his second grade I win of the day.
Odds-on favorite Get Stormy took over turning for home and inched clear of pacesetter National Kid to win the $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap (gr. IIT) by 2 3/4 lengths Aug. 27 at Saratoga.
Live Oak Plantation’s homebred Dynaslew sat off of pacesetter Silver Reunion for a mile, pulled even in mid-stretch, and inched clear for a half-length victory in the $200,000 Ballston Spa Handicap (gr. IIT) for fillies and mares Aug. 28 at Saratoga.
Front-running Enriched proved a determined winner in the $190,000 Del Mar Mile Handicap (gr. IIT), refusing to yield to challenger Meteore in the stretch run to post a three-quarters of a length victory Aug. 28.
Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable’s Rapport set blazing factions and still had something left in the tank for the stretch drive, as she rolled to a dominating 3 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Victory Ride Stakes (gr. III) Aug. 28 at Saratoga for her first stakes win.
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