Frankel Delivers Classic Winner

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas —  Frank Stronach, the racetrack collector, bought the license to operate Lone Star Park for $99 million a couple of years ago.

Stronach, who knows that every little bit helps, got a couple million of that back at Lone Star on Saturday when Ghostzapper, a horse he bred, convincingly won the $4-million Classic and simultaneously sewed up the horse-of-the-year award.

Ridden by Javier Castellano, who had never ridden in a Breeders’ Cup race, and trained by Bobby Frankel, who prevented another of his Breeders’ Cup days from unraveling, Ghostzapper led all the way around in the 1 1/4 -mile race.

Roses In May, who was second from the get-go, finished that way, beaten by three lengths. Pleasantly Perfect, winner of last year’s Classic, ran third, seven lengths behind Ghostzapper, aptly named for a horse winning so close to Halloween.

Ghostzapper, a 4-year-old colt, is a Kentucky-bred son of Awesome Again and Baby Zip. Awesome Again won the 1998 Classic for Stronach at Churchill Downs and became the first Classic winner to sire another winner of the race.

Paying $7 as the slight favorite over Pleasantly Perfect, Ghostzapper was clocked in 1:59.02, breaking the Classic record of 1:59.16 set by Skip Away at Hollywood Park in 1997. Skip Away, like Ghostzapper on Saturday, broke from the No. 1 post that day. They are the only two of 21 Classic winners to start from the inside. The only other Classic winner to win in gate-to-wire fashion was Black Tie Affair in 1991.

“It’s a no-brainer,” said Frankel, when asked about the horse-of-the-year vote. “My horse should be best handicap horse and horse of the year. He’s the best horse I’ve ever trained and the best horse in the country by far.”

The only option for voters might be Smarty Jones, but after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, he failed to sweep the Triple Crown in June and was retired in July after his owners signed off on a $39-million breeding deal. Slowed down by a cracked hoof, Ghostzapper didn’t make his first 2004 start until July 4. He won all four of his races, the last two Grade I stakes. Ghostzapper’s Classic was worth $2.08 million as he won for the eighth time in 10 starts overall.

The Classic completed North Texas’ first Breeders’ Cup, which was seen by 53,717 at Lone Star, about 12 miles west of Dallas. Awesome Again, who stands at Stronach’s Adena Springs Farm in Woodford County, Ky., had weighed in earlier when one of his 2-year-old sons, Wilko, delivered a 28-1 shocker in the Juvenile.

Other winners on the $14-million-purse day were Sweet Catomine in the Juvenile Fillies; Ashado in the Distaff; Speightstown in the Sprint; Better Talk Now in the Turf; Singletary in the Mile; and Ouija Board in the Filly & Mare Turf. Overnight rain led to a yielding turf course all day and the main track was labeled “good” for Ashado’s race. The rest of the dirt races were run in comfortable 70-degree weather, over a quick-drying strip that was rated fast.

Frankel almost handicapped the Classic perfectly. In an interview a couple of days before the race, he cited the eventual first three finishers as the only legitimate contenders. A horse he threw in as an afterthought, Birdstone, finished seventh. One of the horses he emphatically discounted, the mare Azeri, trailed only Ghostzapper and Roses In May early in the race before coming home fifth.

“Before the race,” Frankel said, “I didn’t want to say this was the best horse I ever trained because I didn’t want to look like a fool if he didn’t run his race.”

Frankel has been stung so often in the Breeders’ Cup that he treads lightly every year. He started 38 horses before he won one. Then going into Saturday he was two for 57 and had been beaten three consecutive years with the favorite in the Classic.

Before Saturday’s Classic, Frankel had seen five more starters fail to win. “Because this was the Breeders’ Cup, I was concerned about Ghostzapper winning,” he said. “But on a normal day, I would have been very, very confident.”

Earlier this year, on a bad day at Belmont Park, Frankel took off his necktie for luck and Sightseek, his brilliant filly, won a stake. Frieda Stronach, the wife of Ghostzapper’s owner, took off her hat early Saturday, giving Frankel the idea that he ought to remove his tie again. He took it off 10 minutes before the Classic post time.

Wherever he runs his horses, Frankel seldom watches the races live. At Saratoga, his favorite spot is the racing secretary’s office. At Lone Star, he camped out in the rec room next to the jockeys’ quarters. He heard jockeys coming back from early races on the card saying that the rail, where the water usually drains, was a dead place to be.

So before the Classic, Frankel told Castellano, a 27-year-old Venezuelan, that he should break his mount sharply, capitalize on the slowness of Freefourinternet, the horse breaking just outside Ghostzapper, and move their horse into the second or third path, where the footing was more reliable.

“I had all the confidence in the world,” said Castellano, who ranks ninth nationally on the purse list. “He broke well and I took him off the rail. Azeri was outside of me, and then she moved to the inside. There was no question that he wouldn’t go wire to wire. He was that sharp.”

Castellano was aboard Exogenous in the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, when the filly flipped leaving the tunnel to the track for the post parade and had to be scratched. Exogenous later died from the injuries.

“I was very depressed,” Castellano said. “Today, I felt very emotional. I really appreciated the advice and confidence from my family.”

Pleasantly Perfect, ridden by Jerry Bailey, was 10th in the 13-horse field, about seven lengths from the front, after the first six furlongs. He was forced to circle the field as he picked up horses, then brushed Perfect Drift at the top of the stretch.

“I couldn’t ever get him settled, and I got hung wide on both turns,” Bailey said. “The post position [No. 12] pretty much cost me. He showed a lot of guts, but you can’t run a mile and a quarter on the bridle like that. It just doesn’t work.”

Ghostzapper, showing his hind end to the others, didn’t have those problems.

“Because I own the stallion, this was my greatest thrill,” said Frank Stronach, whose many holdings include Santa Anita. “Awesome Again was not only a great horse, but he’s a great stallion. Ghostzapper was unbelievable.”

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

DISTAFF

1 1/8 miles. Fillies & mares, Three year olds & up. Purse $2,000,000.

*--* Horse and PP 1/2 3/4 St r. Fi n. To $1 Jockey Ashado, 1 5 1/2 4 hd 1 1/2 1 1 1/4 2.00 Velazquez Storm Flag 7 11 8 1/2 5 2 1/2 2 nk 4.60 Flying, Bailey Stellar Jayne, 11 10 1/2 6 hd 4 1/2 3 1 1/2 10.30 Albarado Tamweel, 3 1 1/2 1 1/2 2 1 4 1 3/4 9.00 Douglas Island 10 4 1/2 2 hd 3 hd 5 3 3/4 6.60 Fashion, John Indy Groove, 8 3 1 3 1 6 2 6 1 48.80 Guidry Elloluv, 2 7 1 7 1 7 2 7 nk 21.20 Nakatani Nebraska 5 2 hd 5 1 8 1/2 8 nk 7.30 Tornado, Prado SocietySelecti 4 6 hd 9 1 1/2 9 2 1/2 9 1/2 5.10 on, Velasqz Hollywood 6 9 hd 11 11 10 1 3/4 32.40 Story, Baze Bare 9 8 1/2 10 2 10 2 11 57.10 Necessities, Valdivia

*--*

Scratched-none

*--* 1-ASHADO...6.00 3.60 2.80 7-STORM FLAG FLYING...7.00 4.00 11-STELLAR JAYNE...4.80

*--*

Time-22.93, 46.70, 1.10.50, 1.35.48, 1.48.26. Clear & Good. Winner-dbb.f.3 Saint Ballado-Goulash Trained by Todd A Pletcher. Owned by Starlight Stables LLC, Saylor, Paul and Martin, Johns

$2 EXACTA (1-7) PAID $34.80

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (4/1) PAID $297.60

$2 TRIFECTA (1-7-11) PAID $178.00

$2 SUPERFECTA (1-7-11-3) PAID $1,191.80

$2 HEAD2HEAD 1 VS 7 - WINNER 1 PAID $3.20

RACE RECAP

With Azeri running in the Classic instead of the Distaff, Ashado took over as the favorite and notched a 1 1/4 -length win to give trainer Todd Pletcher his first Breeders’ Cup win.

Ashado, ridden by John Velazquez, the only jockey to win two races, paid $6, running 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 1/5 . Storm Flag Flying finished second and Stellar Jayne was third.

Ashado also won the Kentucky Oaks and the Coaching Club American Oaks and should clinch top 3-year-old filly honors with Saturday’s win.

Angel Cordero, the Hall of Fame jockey who is Ashado’s exercise rider, was near tears in the winner’s circle. “Anytime a 3-5 shot comes out of a race and you become the favorite, you have to be happy,” said Paul Saylor, one of Ashado’s owners.

Pletcher had started 12 horses in the Breeders’ Cup before Ashado’s win. “The first eight or nine didn’t have much of a chance,” Pletcher said. “It probably would have been smarter to stay home, but we wanted to support the Breeders’ Cup and I had some owners who wanted to take a shot.”

*

JUVENILE FILLIES

1 1/16 miles. Two-year-old fillies. Purse $1,000,000.

*--* Horse and PP 1/2 3/4 St r. Fi n. To $1 Jockey Sweet 9 7 1/2 7 1/2 2 1/2 1 3 3/4 2.30 Catomine, Nakatani Balletto, 1 3 1 2 1/2 3 1/2 2 1 1/4 4.10 Bailey Runway Model, 3 6 1 6 1/2 4 2 1/2 3 3/4 10.00 Bejarano Sis City, 6 2 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 hd 4 nk 20.20 Velazquez DanceAwayCapte 5 9 1/2 9 1/2 5 1/2 5 1 1/4 15.70 , Dmngz Sharp Lisa, 11 5 1/2 5 hd 6 1 6 2 1/4 12.10 Dettori Culinary, 4 4 hd 3 hd 7 1 1/2 7 hd 7.30 Marquez Play With 12 12 12 9 1/2 8 3 28.80 Fire, Day Sense of 8 8 1 8 hd 8 1 1/2 9 1 3.50 Style, Prado Culture Clash, 10 10 1/2 10 2 10 2 10 5 1/4 61.60 John Mona Lisa, 7 11 1 11 hd 12 11 2 1/4 18.50 Spencer Higher World, 2 1 hd 4 hd 11 2 1/2 12 60.80 Husbands

*--*

Scratched-In the Gold

*--* 10-SWEET CATOMINE...6.60 4.00 3.00 1-BALLETTO...4.80 3.40 4-RUNWAY MODEL...5.00

*--*

Time-22.99, 46.44, 1.10.69, 1.35.47, 1.41.65. Clear & Fast. Winner-b.f.2 Storm Cat-Sweet Life, trained by Julio Canani. Owned by Mr. & Mrs. Martin J. Wygod.

$2 EXACTA (10-1) PAID $29.00

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (1/10) PAID $19.60

$2 TRIFECTA (10-1-4) PAID $174.20

$2 SUPERFECTA (10-1-4-7) PAID $1,561.20

$2 PICK THREE (4/1/3,10) PAID $1,629.40

$2 HEAD2HEAD 5 VS 12 VS 13 WINNER 12 PAID $5.60

RACE RECAP

A huge horse, favored Sweet Catomine also ran big for her owners and breeders, Marty and Pam Wygod, trainer Julio Canani and jockey Corey Nakatani. Sweet Catomine, who prepped with a sharp win in the Oak Leaf at Santa Anita, won by 3 3/4 lengths, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 3/5. That was faster than Wilko’s time in the Juvenile. Balletto finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Runway Model. Sweet Catomine paid $6.60.

Near the quarter pole, Nakatani extricated Sweet Catomine from tight quarters. They almost clipped the heels of a horse in front of them. “My glasses [binoculars] were shaking,” Marty Wygod said, “because I could see it coming. It was very nerve-racking.”

Sweet Catomine gave Canani his third Breeders’ Cup win. “She’s such a good filly, she was able to overcome the trouble,” said Nakatani, who has won six Breeders’ Cup races. “She’s big, but she has a quick turn of foot.”

Neither the Wygods nor Canani ruled out the possibility of Sweet Catomine’s running against colts next year.

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MILE

On Turf. Three year olds & up. Purse $1,500,000.

*--* Horse and PP 1/2 3/4 St r. Fi n. To $1 Jockey Singletary, 10 5 1/2 4 hd 1 1 1 1/2 16.50 Flores Antonius Pius, 7 12 1 10 hd 4 1 2 1 1/2 31.40 Spencer Six 11 8 1/2 7 1 7 hd 3 nk 5.90 Perfections, Bailey Soaring Free, 4 1 1 1 1/2 2 1 4 3/4 10.90 Kabel Silver Tree, 2 7 1/2 8 1/2 5 hd 5 nk 21.90 Prado MusicalChimes, 9 9 1/2 11 hd 8 hd 6 nk 22.90 Dsrmx Blackdoun, 13 14 13 1 1/2 11 hd 7 nk 10.60 Nakatani Diamond Green, 8 13 hd 14 10 1 1/2 8 1 19.70 Dettori Mr O’Brien, Coa 14 6 1 5 1/2 6 1/2 9 no 20.70 Whipper, 1 4 1/2 2 hd 3 hd 10 no 7.10 Soumillon Nothing to 12 10 1/2 9 hd 12 1 11 1/2 4.30 Lose, Vlzqz Artie 6 11 1/2 12 1/2 9 1 1/2 12 3 3/4 3.80 Schiller, Migliore Special Ring, 3 2 hd 3 hd 13 3 13 3 1/2 8.60 Espinoza Domestic 5 3 1 6 hd 14 14 53.80 Dispute, John

*--*

Scratched-none

*--* 10-SINGLETARY...35.00 15.60 9.80 7-ANTONIUS PIUS...37.60 13.60 11-SIX PERFECTIONS...5.00

*--*

Time-24.03, 48.65, 1.12.71, 1.24.77, 1.36.90. Clear & Yielding. Winner-b.c.4 Sultry Song-Joiski’s Star Trained by Donald Chatlos Jr. Owned by Little Red Feather Racing

$2 EXACTA (10-7) PAID $1,495.60

$2 PICK THREE (1/3-10/10) PAID $474.00

$2 TRIFECTA (10-7-11) PAID $12,435.20

$2 SUPERFECTA (10-7-11-4) PAID $107,388.00

$2 HEAD2HEAD 11 VS 12 WINNER 11 PAID $3.80

RACE RECAP

One of Singletary’s raucous owners, Bill Koch, pointed out that it doesn’t necessarily cost millions to win a Breeders’ Cup race. Singletary was first sold for $3,200 as a yearling, then was bought in a three-horse package by trainer Don Chatlos Jr. Chatlos said that the way the sale broke down, Singletary cost about $25,000.

Ridden by David Flores, Singletary came from off the pace to win by half a length over Antonius Pius. Singletary, named after Mike Singletary, the Chicago Bears’ Hall of Fame linebacker, races in silks that are patterned after the Bears’ uniforms. Singletary, timed in 1:36 4/5 , paid $35. The favorite, Artie Schiller, finished 12th, and Six Perfections, winner of the race last year, ran third.

Fifteen years ago, the 39-year-old Chatlos said, he came close to leaving the game. “[Flores] wasn’t riding many winners and I wasn’t training many.”

In fifth place early, Singletary took the lead with three-sixteenths of a mile to go. “When he gets the lead, it’s very tough to get by him,” Flores said.

*

SPRINT

6 furlongs. Three year olds & up. Purse $1,000,000.

*--* Horse and PP 1/4 1/2 St r. Fi n. To $1 Jockey Speightstown, 2 4 1 3 1 1 1 1/2 1 1 1/4 3.70 Velazquez Kela, Bailey 5 10 1 1/2 10 1 7 1/2 2 3/4 4.00 My Cousin 12 9 1 1/2 9 1/2 4 1 3 1/2 60.70 Matt, Domingz Bwana Charlie, 1 11 3 1/2 11 3 8 hd 4 3/4 35.30 Migliore Cajun Beat, 11 6 1 1/2 5 1 5 1 5 hd 14.80 Velasquez Clock Stopper, 7 13 13 11 hd 6 hd 7.70 Day Champali, 3 7 hd 8 1/2 6 1/2 7 nk 7.30 Bejarano Pt’s Grey 8 12 2 12 2 10 1 1/2 8 nk 23.70 Eagle, Nakatani Gold Storm, 9 3 1 2 hd 2 1/2 9 1 1/2 18.70 Taylor Midas Eyes, 13 8 1 7 1/2 9 2 10 3 1/2 3.60 Prado Abbondanza, Coa 6 1 1/2 1 1 3 hd 11 1 1/4 25.70 Our New 4 5 hd 6 hd 12 hd 12 8 1/2 8.90 Recruit, Baze Cuvee, Albarado 10 2 hd 4 1 13 13 39.20

*--*

Scratched-none

*--* 2-SPEIGHTSTOWN...9.40 5.20 4.00 5-KELA...5.00 4.00 12-MY COUSIN MATT...15.00

*--*

Time-21.23, 43.47, 55.56, 1.08.11. Clear & Fast. Winner-ch.h.6 Gone West-Silken Cat Trained by Todd A Pletcher. Owned by Eugene & Laura Melnyk

$2 EXACTA (2-5) PAID $41.60

$2 SUPERFECTA (2-5-12-1) PAID $42,365.20

$2 TRIFECTA (2-5-12) PAID $2,684.20

$2 PICK THREE (3,10/10/2) PAID $761.00

$2 PICK FOUR 1/3,10/10-2 $3,130.20

$2 HEAD2HEAD 7 VS 11 WINNER 11 PAID $4.20

RACE RECAP

Speightstown didn’t come cheap. His owners, Eugene and Laura Melnyk, bought him for $2 million, and from August 2001 until May 2003, the horse was sidelined by injuries. Since returning with a new trainer, Todd Pletcher, Speightstown has won six of eight starts, including Saturday’s stake by 1 1/4 lengths over Kela.

My Cousin Matt finished third and the favorite, trainer Bobby Frankel’s Midas Eyes, ran 10th.

Speightstown, reaching the wire in 1:08 under John Velazquez, paid $9.40 as the second choice. Speightstown, a 6-year-old, may have trouble beating out Pico Central for the Eclipse Award for best sprinter. Pico Central, who beat Speightstown in the Vosburgh at Belmont Park a month ago, didn’t run Saturday because it would have cost $200,000 to make him eligible.

“Both horses have lost one race this year,” Pletcher said. “But this is the marquee race, and in my mind you have to show up on the championship day.”

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FILLY & MARE

1 3/8 miles. Turf. Fillies & Mares, Three year olds and up. Purse $1,000,000.

*--* Horse and PP 3/4 1 St r. Fi n. To $1 Jockey Ouija Board, 5 4 hd 4 1 2 1/2 1 1 1/2 0.90 Fallon Film Maker, 3 2 1/2 2 1 1/2 3 1 1/2 2 nk 16.50 Velazquez Wonder Again, 12 11 2 1/2 10 1 4 1/2 3 2 3/4 10.70 Prado Moscow 4 1 1 1/2 1 1 1/2 1 hd 4 1 1/4 18.80 Burning, Valdivia Yesterday, 11 7 1 1/2 6 hd 5 3 5 1 9.00 Spencer Shaconage, 6 12 12 7 hd 6 3/4 62.40 Bejarano Light Jig, 7 8 1/2 11 1 8 2 1/2 7 1/2 6.40 Douglas Riskaverse, 9 5 1/2 5 hd 6 1 1/2 8 1 13.70 Velasquez Super Brand, 1 9 1/2 9 hd 9 hd 9 5 1/2 32.60 Day Katdogawn, 2 10 1 1/2 8 hd 10 2 1/2 10 1 55.40 Desormeaux Megahertz, 10 6 1 7 1 1/2 11 hd 11 nk 10.10 Nakatani Aubonne, 8 3 1 1/2 3 hd 12 12 16.80 Bailey

*--*

Scratched-none

*--* 5-OUIJA BOARD...3.80 3.00 2.80 3-FILM MAKER...9.00 6.60 12-WONDER AGAIN...6.60

*--*

Time-26.42, 52.47, 1.18.50, 1.42.36, 2.06.34, 2.18.25. Clear & Yielding. Winner-b.f.3 Cape Cross-Selection Board Trained by Edward Dunlop. Owned by Lord Derby

$2 EXACTA (5-3) PAID $43.40

$2 SUPERFECTA (5-3-12-4) PAID $3,257.40

$2 TRIFECTA (5-3-12) PAID $364.00

$2 HEAD2HEAD 3 VS 10 VS 11 WINNER 3 PAID $5.60

$2 PICK THREE (10/2/5) PAID $505.80

RACE RECAP

After his trainer and owner debated about running their 3-year-old filly against males in the Turf, they settled on this race and Ouija Board, a 9-10 favorite, won by 1 1/2 lengths over Film Maker, with Wonder Again running third. Moscow Burning, the leader until Ouija Board and Kieren Fallon blew past in the stretch, took fourth money.

Ouija Board, who races for Lord Derby and trainer Edward Dunlop, ran 1 3/8 miles around three turns in 2:18 1/5. She prepped by running third in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

“I was very concerned the first half, because the pace was so slow,” Dunlop said. “She was coming from 1 1/2 miles to 1 3/8 miles, and I was afraid that the slow pace might get her beat.”

Fallon thought that the No. 5 post position was crucial.

“That helped me win,” he said. “That’s where I like to be, without too much ground to make up. I was always confident. I knew she was the best filly, and she proved herself.”

*

JUVENILE

1 1/16 miles. Colts & Geldings, Two year olds. Purse $1,500,000.

*--* Horse and PP 1/2 3/4 St r. Fi n. To $1 Jockey Wilko, Dettori 8 3 hd 4 2 1/2 4 2 1 3/4 28.30 Afleet Alex, 3 6 1 1/2 3 1/2 1 hd 2 nk 3.00 Rose Sun King, Prado 1 4 1/2 1 hd 2 1/2 3 1 1/4 6.90 Consolidator, 4 2 1 2 hd 3 1/2 4 1 1/2 7.50 Bejarano Roman Ruler, 2 7 hd 5 1/2 5 2 5 1 1/4 2.00 Nakatani Proud 6 5 hd 6 hd 6 5 6 9 3/4 2.60 Accolade, Velazquez Twice 7 1 1 7 1/2 7 1 7 1 1/4 33.20 Unbridled, Espinoza Scandinavia, 5 8 8 8 8 14.50 Spencer

*--*

Scratched-none

*--* 8-WILKO...58.60 18.20 6.80 3-AFLEET ALEX...5.00 3.60 1-SUN KING...5.60

*--*

Time-23.54, 47.49, 1.11.25, 1.35.77, 1.42.09. Clear & Fast. Winner-ch.c.2 Awesome Again-Native Roots Trained by Jeremy Noseda. Owned by J Paul Reddam & Mrs Susan Roy

$2 EXACTA (8-3) PAID $254.00

$2 SUPERFECTA (8-3-1-4) PAID $7,150.20

$2 TRIFECTA (8-3-1) PAID $1,424.60

$2 HEAD2HEAD 1 VS 4 WINNER 1 PAID $3.20

$2 PICK THREE (2/5/8) PAID $1,114.40

RACE RECAP

In one of the weakest runnings of this stake, Wilko, a British horse who had never run on dirt and never been beyond a mile, prevailed by three-quarters of a length over Afleet Alex. Sun King was third and Roman Ruler, the 2-1 favorite from Santa Anita, finished fifth in the eight-horse field.

Wilko, trained by Jeremy Noseda and ridden by Frankie Dettori, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 and paid $58.60. In England, he had won only two of 10 starts. Dettori rode him for the first time.

Said Corey Nakatani, who rode Roman Ruler: “He was slipping the whole way and not handling the track.”

“He’s better than that. He never tried. His head was in the air the whole way.”

Noseda and Dettori would have been happy just finishing in the money.

“I can’t believe it,” Dettori said. “I was just speechless. I expected to be really outpaced, but I can’t believe he jumped right out to second.”

Californian J. Paul Reddam bought 75% of Wilko after his last race in England on Sept. 25. Reddam said that Wilko’s career would continue with trainer Craig Dollase in California.

*

TURF

1 1/2 miles. Three year olds & up. Purse $2,000,000.

*--* Horse and PP 3/4 1 1/4 St r. Fi n. To $1 Jockey BetterTalk 5 6 2 1/2 4 1/2 2 1 1/2 1 1 3/4 27.90 Now, Domngz Kitten’s 4 3 1 3 1 3 2 2 1 0.70 Joy, Velazquez Powerscour 1 2 1/2 1 2 1 hd 3 2 1/4 2.90 t, Spencer Magistrett 6 5 2 2 hd 4 2 1/2 4 2 3/4 6.10 i, Prado Mustanfar, 8 8 7 1 5 2 5 nk 23.40 Santos Request 2 7 hd 8 6 1/2 6 4 22.20 for Parole, Day Strut the 3 4 1/2 6 1/2 7 1/2 7 3 3/4 27.40 Stage, Naktn Star Over 7 1 2 5 2 1/2 8 8 8.10 the Bay, Baze

*--*

Scratched-none

*--* 5-BETTER TALK NOW...57.80 12.40 5.20 4-KITTEN’S JOY...2.80 2.20 1-POWERSCOURT...3.00

*--*

Time-24.90, 49.16, 1.13.96, 1.40.14, 2.04.15, 2.29.70. Clear & Yielding. Winner-b.g.5 Talkin Man-Bendita Trained by H Graham Motion. Owned by Bushwood Racing Partners LLC

$2 EXACTA (5-4) PAID $134.80

$2 SUPERFECTA (5-4-1-6) PAID $1,483.40

$2 TRIFECTA (5-4-1) PAID $492.00

$2 PICK THREE (5/8/5) PAID $4,007.40

$2 HEAD2HEAD 1 VS 4 WINNER 4 PAID $2.80

RACE RECAP

Better Talk Now, a 5-year-old gelding, had won only one of six starts this year, but that was in the Grade I Sword Dancer Handicap at Belmont. Better Talk Now, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, regained that form to score a 1 3/4 -length win in a roughly run race.

The stewards allowed the result to stand after conducting an inquiry. Kitten’s Joy, at 7-10, finished second and Powerscourt was third. Better Talk Now, completing 1 1/2 miles in 2:29 3/5 , paid $57.80.

Kitten’s Joy, ridden by John Velazquez, came over into Magistretti’s path and made contact with Better Talk Now, who drifted to the inside.

“It felt like an hour before they made it official,” Dominguez said.

Velazquez said that he had no choice but to claim foul. “I thought I had a chance at the three-sixteenths pole, but the winner hit me pretty hard. He put me in a bad spot.”

Kitten’s Joy had gone into the race with six wins in seven starts this year.

“I’m not saying we were impeded,” said Ken Ramsey, who owns Kitten’s Joy. “But we were not clear to run down the stretch. But we’ll live to fight another day.”

-- Bill Christine