OCEANPORT, N.J. - Verrazano took command at the three-quarter mile mark and blew away the rest of the field to win the $1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational by a race-record 9 3/4 lengths Sunday in the 46th annual running at Monmouth Park.
Sent off at even money, Verrazano allowed Preakness winner Oxbow to set the early fractions in a slow pace. Oxbow, sent off as the second choice at 5-2, led through the half-mile mark, with Verrazano a half-length back.
The two stakes winners went head-to-head for 200 yards, then Verrazano, ridden by John Velazquez and trained by Todd Pletcher, pulled away from a fading Oxbow to win, running 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.68.
It was Pletcher’s third winner at the Haskell and Velazquez’s second win.
Power Broker, ridden by Rosie Napravnik and trained by six-time Haskell winner Bob Baffert, finished second. Baffert was attempting to win the Haskell for the fourth straight time. Micromanage finished third and Oxbow faded to fourth. Micromanage also is trained by Pletcher.
Verrazano, winner of $1.5 million, has won six times in seven starts, including the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth on June 16.
Verrazano paid $4.20, $3.20 and $2.10. Power Broker returned $4.80 and $3.60, and Micromanage paid $4 to show.
Earlier Sunday, heavy favorite Take Charge Indy broke stride in the backstretch in the $200,000 Monmouth Cup, sustaining a left front condylar fracture that will require surgery.
Take Charge Indy was the 3-5 favorite with Hall of Famer Gary Stevens aboard and seemed to be putting therace away when he took a bad step in the back stretch with a three-length lead, forcing Stevens to ease him.
“I heard a loud pop around the half-mile pole,” Stevens said. “He wanted to continue, but I pulled him up.”
Former Kentucky Derby entrant Pants on Fire won the race and paid $16.20. Paco Lopez rode the winner.
Eight-year-old gelding Immortal Eyes won the $100,000 Teddy Drone Stakes as the 3-5 favorite. Immortal Eyes, with Paco Lopez riding, won for the third straight time on the Monmouth dirt course.
Irish-born Starstruck, with Rosie Napravnik aboard, won the $150,000 Matchmaker Stakes and New Jersey-born Napravnik took her second stakes race of the day, winning the $200,000 Molly Pitcher on Joyful Victory in impressive fashion, pulling away to win by 7 1/2 lengths.
In the $100,000 RegretStakes, long-shot Geeky Gorgeous emerged from the pack in the final strides to pull the upset with Joe Bravo aboard. In the $150,000 Oceanport Stakes, Silver Max put away the field down the stretch with Robby Alvarado aboard.AMSTERDAM STAKES Stretch run lifts Forty Tales
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Forty Tales rallied in the stretch to beat Mico Margarita by three-quarters of a length Sunday in the $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course.
Ridden by Joel Rosario and trained by Todd Pletcher, Forty Tales ran 6 1/2furlongs in 1:15.64 for his third straight victory. He $7.30, $3.80 and $2.90, and earned $120,000 for Peretti Racing Stable.
Mico Margarita returned $7.30 and $4.30, and Salutos Amigos paid $6.70 to show.
SAN DIEGO HANDICAP Kettle Corn rallies back
DEL MAR, Calif. - Trainer John Sadler’s 6-year-old Kettle Corn came back from last place to beat Bob Baffert’s heavy favorite Paynter on Saturday in the $200,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar.
Paynter, the 3-5 favorite, looked to be in perfect position in second for most of the race and came out of the final turn with the lead, but Kettle Corn and jockey Victor Espinoza came charging from the far outside for a half-length victory, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.83.
The Grade 2, San Diego Handicap is considered the main steppingstone to the biggest race of the Del Mar meeting, the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic, and Sadler said he’s pointing the horse to the Aug. 25 race.
“He always runs well in the big races. He’s been a very good, honest, blue-collar horse,” Sadler said. “He deserves to win a big one.”
Kettle Corn, who was third in the same race a year ago, was coming off a hard-closing second to Baffert’s Game on Dude in the Hollywood Gold Cup.
Kettle Corn earned $120,000 for the win, his eighth in 24 lifetime starts, for a career total of $653,111. He returned $9.20, $3.40 and $2.60. Paynter paid $2.40 and $2.10. Batti Man returned $6 to show.
Baffert managed an easy win in the day’s other $200,000 race at Del Mar, the Fleet Treat Stakes for 3-yearold fillies. Baffert saddled Sweet Marini in the gate-towire, 4¾-length victory. The filly covered seven furlongs in 1:22.25.
The odds-on favorite, Doinghardtimeagain, was briefly second but faded to fifth in the field of six.
Sports, Pages 17 on 07/29/2013