If races such as the Woodward, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders’ Cup Classic were run over the inner dirt track at Aqueduct, there’s a good chance Barrier Reef would be Horse of the Year.
In the $65,000 Stymie at mile-and-eighth, Barrier Reef sat well off the pace duel between Mateca and True Resurgence and advanced quickly into contention along the rail under Ramon Dominguez. Had to slam on the brakes after clipping heels around the far turn, swung out top of stretch, ran down True Resurgence inside the final furlong to score by 3 1/4 lengths as 2-1 favorite in field of eight. The victory ran Barrier Reef’s record over the IDT to 5-for-6. Fourth win of the day for Dominguez.
* The sentimental favorite in today’s ninth race is trainer Mike Hushion’s first-time starter Bea Bet, a 3-year-old filly owned in partnership by Steven Schoenfeld, named after his grandmother, Beatrice, who passed away last week at age 90.
FIRST RACE: Gruesome breakdown. Mon Senor, a 6-year-old dropping to basement 7.5G claiming level for his 23rd start after finishing up the track for 10G, was pressing the pace down the backside when he snapped his right front ankle. Jockey Winston Thompson managed to pull him up on three remaining legs without going down, but the injury was so severe, Mon Senor was euthanized as soon as the vet reached him.
SIXTH RACE: Sal Paradise, 5-1 under C.C. Lopez, gunned to the front, and was hooked around the turn by 19-1 Brook Dance, Jean-Luc Samyn up. Those two opened up on the field dueling to deep stretch, when 5-1 No Questions, who wasn’t even on TV screen turning for home, came flying down center of track like he was shot out of cannon to blow by them all under Rosey Napravnik.
SEVENTH RACE: Lots of weird ways to lose a race. Here are two: Just as gates opened, 6-1 Future Prospect reared up, then sat down, and appeared to be still in hands of starter at the break, but no refund. Next, 5-1 Putin was racing on the lead into the clubhouse turn, when his reign broke. Around the turn, Putin drifted wide, wider, widest, at which point jockey Jeffrey Sanchez bailed out just as Putin attempted to hurtle outside rail at the gap. He crashed into it instead, but neither horse nor rider was injured.
PICK SIX
Winning numbers: 2-3-8-3-7-4
2 winners (6 of 6) each paid $25,334
129 consolation (5 of 6) each paid $131
No carryover