Good Lord rebounded off two subpar efforts to pull a mild upset Saturday when defending his title in the 36th running of the $50,000 Don Bernhardt at Ellis Park in western Kentucky.
Sent straight to the front by Jesus Castanon, Good Lord turned back Right to Vote, the 9-5 second choice, after turning for home in the 6 1/2-furlong race and went on to prevail by 3 1/4 lengths over Good Morning Diva, the odds-on favorite in a field of six older horses.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher’s decision to wait to take on champion Royal Delta until another day paid big dividends when Authenticity registered a popular one-length decision over a game Flashy American in Saturday’s $200,000 Shuvee at Saratoga. The win was the second of three stakes victories for Pletcher on the card, along with Silsita in the My Princess Jess and Princess of Sylmar in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks.
The second Delaware Handicap was far easier than the first for Royal Delta, the champion mare who on Saturday blew things open early in taking the annual Delaware Park showcase for the second straight year.
With Mike Smith barely moving aboard her, Royal Delta opened a long lead down the backstretch of the Grade 1, $750,000 Delaware Handicap and went on to stroll home by 10 3/4 lengths.
Backseat Memories, a six-time winner on turf this season, and last-out maiden winner Grand Tito hit the wire together in Saturday’s $75,000 Showing Up Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The dead heat remained in doubt, however, until stewards disallowed a claim of foul lodged against Fernando Jara, rider of Backseat Memories, for interference.
Grand Tito ($13), with Jilver Chamati aboard, was overtaken by about a neck in deep stretch, but came again to get on even terms with Backseat Memories ($5) after 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:46.76.
My Option made a successful venture outside of restricted company Saturday when driving to victory under Eddie Perez in the 33rd running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington Park Oaks at Arlington Park.
Trained by Chris Block for owner-breeder Timothy Keeley, My Option held off 12-1 shot Frivolous to win the 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race by a neck. The winner returned $7 as second choice in a field of six 3-year-old fillies after finishing in 1:52.85.
“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the filly and Eddie,” said Block. “They fit together pretty well.”
Jockey Jose Espinoza kept switching lanes with Amberjack until he finally found the best part of a sloppy racetrack in the stretch and his colt responded with a strong run that produced a dominant victory in Saturday’s $160,800 New York Derby at Finger Lakes.
Trainer Dallas Stewart sent out his two top 3-year-olds, Kentucky Derby runner-up Golden Soul, and the improving Perfect Title, to breeze early Saturday over the Oklahoma training track.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Mark Casse trainees Sisterly Love and Eagle Hall dominated the $151,500 Ontario Matron on Saturday at Woodbine, when they ran one-two in the Grade 3 stakes for fillies and mares.
Sisterly Love ($3.90) went unchallenged on the lead and set moderate fractions in the 1 1/16-mile route, before opening up a clear lead on the far turn. Eagle Hall rallied along the rail from seventh to finish 3 1/2 lengths behind Sisterly Love, who had coasted home on top to complete the distance in 1:43.41. Pure Blue Sky rallied belatedly for third in the seven-horse field.
