Azeri Is Upset by Mayo On The Side

LOUISVILLE, Ky. â€”  Azeri, the 7-10 favorite, lost by a head to Mayo On The Side in the $280,250 Humana Distaff Handicap on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Azeri, the 2002 horse of the year, lost for the third time in 18 starts. The 6-year-old mare, ridden by Mike Smith, carried 125 pounds, 11 fewer than Mayo On The Side, who was ridden by Pat Day and paid $13. Randaroo ran third and Keiai Sakura was fourth in the four-horse field.

“I had to stop her twice, and that cost her,� Smith said of Azeri. “I had to take her up going away, then I had to go around on the backstretch. Still, my horse ran game and coming into the stretch I thought I was going to win.�

Smith said that Mayo On The Side passed Azeri near the wire, and Azeri came on again.

“My horse jumped past Azeri,� Day said, “then she kind of put her head up and waited on Azeri. Azeri came back and put a head in front, but fortunately we were running in the shadow of the wire and just got her.�

The time for seven furlongs over a track labeled fast was 1:22 3/5. A downpour hit Churchill Downs later, resulting in a sloppy track for the Kentucky Derby.

In other stakes on the card, Speightstown ran seven furlongs in 1:21 1/5 -- third-fastest clocking in the 70 runnings of the Churchill Downs Handicap -- to beat McCann’s Mojave by 3 1/2 lengths; Lunarpal won the $100,000 Three Chimneys Juvenile; Shaconage, paying $40.60, won the $100,000 Argent Mortgage; and Stroll outfinished Sweet Return in the $400,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.

Congaree, the 9-10 favorite, ran fourth in the Churchill Downs Handicap.