Is Sierra Leone the unluckiest horse in racing?
He's made the frame in all three Triple Crown races, has beaten home the horses who beat him in them, but not managed to get the win. This time he seemed to stumble coming out the gate and crashed into Mindframe and the bounced into Honor Marie and never really had a chance after that although he did come home really well and thus got the third.
That's not to take anything away from the winner this time Dornach who upheld the family honour by running a great race (his full brother Mage won the Kentucky Derby last year) which delighted all his connections and probably his Mum if anyone had asked her. Mindframe is a very speedy horse as shown by his previous two race winning margin of over 21 lengths. And then came Sierra Leone to take the third with Honor Marie 4 lengths behind him in fourth. Ironic that the two horses who had bumped with Sierra Leone finished on either side of him.
The afternoon had started with the True North which went to Baby Yoda 9/1 from Ninetyprcentmaddie 16/1 and the more fancied Gun Pilot. There were only 7 in the race so not a great deal to put in the little black book.
The Poker went to Ice Chocolat (how could we have missed that one) who finished ahead of Godolphin's Mysterios Night and Talk of the Nations, with our other selections following on from there.
Crupi won the Suburban and was second favourite after stablemate Charge It was scratched. He beat the favourite Bendoog by half a length and Masqueparade was third on 14/1.
Odds-on favourite Idiomatic should have won the Ogden Phipps but a slight error of judgement by his jockey let Randomized through and the rest was history. Pretty Mischievous was well-behaved and took third.
The Woody Stephens went to Bucchero's son Book'em Dan giving jockey Irad Ortiz a race by race double. Prince of Monaco had to settle for second and the unfancied Nutella Fella was third at 20/1.
Irad Ortiz's run continued in the Jaipur where he was on the Asmussen-trained Cogburn in the Jaipur. Cogburn ran his race and set a new course record for the 1100m trip, and the rest of the field were in another race with Arzak the best of the chasers 3 ½ lengths away and Star of Mystery third.
Another run away winner in the Metrop Mile with Baffert's National Treasure put an easy 6 ½ lengths between him and the chasing brigade led by Post Time with Hoist the Flag third. White Abarrio was second favourite but was never in it and may be looking to a summer holiday.
And another very clear winner in the Manhattan which marked a change of fortune for the Appleby-Godolphin runners with Measured Time under William Buick finishing first and stablemate Nation's Pride 2 lengths away second under Frankie Dettori. Even more excitement in the photo for third which resulted in a dead heat between Ohana Honor 16/1 and Far Bridge 18/1. Buick subsequently flew home to England and rode another winner there on Sunday – an intercontinental double in under 24 hours!
There were mostly good reports from all fronts on the Saratoga event with the handle being the highest for a non-triple crown race.
