The Blood-Horse: 09/20/2008 issue

Photo: BLOOD-HORSE

Rear View Riding: Frankie Dettori looks back while winning the Sept. 13 St. Leger (Eng-I) at Doncaster aboard the Michael Stoute-trained Conduit.

Photo: Trevor Jones

Godolphin's Music Note won the $237,500 Gazelle Stakes (gr. I) in little more than a walkover over three rivals at Belmont Park Sept. 13.

Photo: ADAM COGLIANESE

Music Note, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, won her third grade I race at Belmont this year and her fourth in five starts overall at the big oval while held under wraps by jockey Javier Castellano.

Photo: ADAM COGLIANESE

Charitable Man won the the $250,000 Futurity (gr. II) at Belmont Park Sept. 13.

Photo: ADAM COGLIANESE

Charitable Man, after breaking his maiden by a smashing 11 1/2 lengths in his debut race at Saratoga Aug. 10, is now unbeaten in two starts.

Photo: ADAM COGLIANESE

Doremifasollatido saved ground early, moved into contention while splitting horses at the top of the stretch and pulled away for a two-length victory in the $250,000 Matron (gr. II) Sept. 13 on the Belmont dirt.

Photo: ADAM COGLIANESE

Entering the seven-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies as the only starter to have tried stakes company, Doremifasollatido stopped the clock in 1:24.74 with Eibar Coa in the irons.

Photo: ADAM COGLIANESE

Criminologist needed the length of the stretch to catch Waquoit’s Love, but the 5-year-old Maria's Mon mare finally ran down the pacesetter, getting up in the final stride to win the $100,000 Noble Damsel Handicap (gr. IIIT) by a head Sept. 13 on the Belmont turf.

Photo: ADAM COGLIANESE

Terrain (left, No. 10) got the best of a messy stretch run in the $200,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) when he was elevated from a third-place finish to victory following a rare double disqualification at Arlington Park Sept. 13.

Photo: Four Footed Fotos

Big Brown made his return to turf a successful one Sept. 13 in the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes, sprinting to a commanding early lead under Kent Desormeaux and then gamely holding off Proudinsky for the length of the stretch to win by a neck.

Photo: JESSICA DENVER/EQUI-PHOTO

Septimus powered his way to a 13-length victory in the Irish Field St. Leger (Ire-I), enabling trainer Aidan O’Brien to sweep all five Irish classic races this season.  In doing so, O’Brien became the first trainer in 73 years to accomplish such a feat.

Photo: CAROLINE NORRIS

Sir Michael Stoute had won every other British classic at least twice, but a victory in the Ladbrokes St. Leger (Eng-I) had always eluded him.  After 34 years of training, that omission from his resume was corrected when Frankie Dettori guided 8-1 shot Conduit to a comfortable three length win at Doncaster Sept. 13.

Photo: Trevor Jones