HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Far Bridge had to utilize all his class and talent to outfight a determined upset-minded Corruption to win Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Pan American Stakes by a neck at Gulfstream Park.
The win kept Far Bridge undefeated in four starts at Gulfstream Park while giving trainer Christophe Clement a fourth victory – and third in the last four years – in the Pan American.
Like his previous two Pan Am winners – Kertez last year and Gufo in 2022 – Far Bridge was making his first start off a lengthy layoff. He hadn’t run since finishing ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last Nov. 2.
Far Bridge also did it with a different type trip than jockey Joel Rosario was expecting. Rosario thought he would have Far Bridge forward placed. Instead, Corruption, under Javier Castellano made the lead and Far Bridge was fifth early on.
Rosario took a hold of Far Bridge going into the first turn and had to steady him again into the second turn as he drew within two lengths of Corruption, who, under Javier Castellano, ran six furlongs in 1:11.30.
Coming to the head of the lane, Rosario got Far Bridge off the rail and to the outside of Corruption. The two ran together through the stretch before Far Bridge prevailed narrowly.
“I thought I was going to be more forwardly-placed, I had to navigate a little traffic going into the first turn, I had to take a little hold and then again turning for home but everything worked out good,” Rosario said. “He was the best horse in the race, I was just trying to give him a good trip.”
Far Bridge’s final time of 2:22.73 (96 Beyer Speed Figure) for 1 1/2-miles was just .10 off the course and stakes record set by Twilight Eclipse in the 2013 Pan Am. Far Bridge, a two-time Grade 1 winner in2 2024 owned by LSU Stables, returned $3.80 as the favorite. He is now 4 for 4 at Gulfstream.
“He had him in the right position today, the runner-up had a gutsy effort, nevertheless I thought our class prevailed today,” said Miguel Clement, assistant to his father. “To run that sort of time off a long layoff – they were both rolling to be honest with you – he’s a top-class horse.”
Corruption won three straight races at this meet, beginning with a $25,000 claiming event in January. Castellano said though his horse was on the lead, he wasn’t focused.
“I had to ride him a little bit,” Castellano said. “When he hooked up with the other horse, I think he start figuring it out the last part of the race. He got beat by the bob by a better horse. It was a great effort. He stopped up in class and he showed up.”
Miguel Clement said Far Bridge would be pointed to the Grade 2, $400,000 Man o’ War at Aqueduct on May 10.
Beach Bomb holds on in Orchid
At the top of the stretch of Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Orchid Stakes, Luis Saez and Graham Motion, the jockey and trainer of Beach Bomb, were both concerned if their South African-bred mare had enough left to see out the 1 1/2-mile distance of the race.
Despite setting a fairly solid early pace, Beach Bomb did indeed have just enough left to hold off Silvology and La Mehana and win the Orchid by a head. Silvology, who had to go wide under Dylan Davis for the stretch, got second by a neck over La Mehana. My Brazilian Girl, Queen Regent, and Sacaya completed the order of finish. Infinite Diamonds scratched.
Beach Bomb added the Orchid to a win in the Grade 3 The Very One at 1 3/8 miles here four weeks ago. Motion said though he was concerned about 12 furlongs for Beach Bomb, he felt this was the right race for her to set her up for the summer.
“How could you pass up this weekend, she’d won on the track, timing was good, she came out of the race great,” Motion said. “I thought on this track we’d get away with [trying 1 1/2 miles]. She went quicker today than she did last time, I was concerned. I didn’t know she’d last. She’s pretty honest though, she’s pretty genuine."
Though Beach Bomb was uncontested on the lead, she ran fractions of 48.56 seconds for the half-mile, 1:13.33 for six furlongs and 1:37.49 for the mile. She had a two-length lead at the eighth pole and just had enough to hang on.
Beach Bomb (87 Beyer Speed Figure) owned by Cayton Park Stud of Gaynor Allison Rupert, covered the distance in 2:24.29 and returned $5.20 as the favorite.
“She was getting a little tired, we knew that was going to happen because it was more distance today and she went at a pretty good pace too,” Saez said.
Davis said Silvology broke slow or else he would have been closer early on. Silvology did come with a strong late run that fell agonizingly short.
“I thought she was going to break a lot better than she did, but she broke slow,” Davis said. “I saved ground those first two turns but I had to get her running into that last turn and I had to go with that three-, four-wide trip into that last turn. She still ran great coming from way out of it. One more jump I’m right there.”
Motion said that he would likely look to cut Beach Bomb back in distance in a race like the Grade 1, $750,000 New York Stakes at Saratoga on June 6.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.