SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Far Bridge returned to his winning ways and did so decisively, readily handling his three over-matched rivals to register a popular and very easy three-length victory over El Rezeen Saturday at Saratoga in the $200,000 Bowling Green Stakes.
Heavy downpours early Saturday morning sliced the prospective starting lineup for the Grade 2 Bowling Green in half, from eight to only four starters, with the turf course downgraded to “yielding” as a result of the sudden showers. There were seven scratches overall after the three main-track-only entrants were also taken out several hours later.
Rain or shine, full field or not, Far Bridge was clearly the class of the 1 3/8-mile Bowling Green and he made the most of the opportunity with regular rider Joel Rosario aboard once again.
Tucson, one of two horses in the field trained by Todd Pletcher along with El Rezeen, quickly sprinted to command with Far Bridge content to rate about four lengths off the leader through the opening six furlongs. Rosario called upon the favorite to engage the leader midway down the backstretch, the pair finally gaining control near the three-eighths marker. Far Bridge settled into the stretch with a commanding advantage and cruised home from that point, Rosario peaking back about four times through midstretch with nary a challenger in sight and the issue no longer in doubt.
El Rezeen raced at the rear of the compact lineup for over a mile before angling wide and readily running past the others to be second best. It was 3 1/4 lengths back to Harrow who finished third, a neck in front of the tiring Tucson.
The win was the fifth in the last seven starts for Far Bridge, all with Rosario aboard. His lone losses during that span, which dates back to his victory here 11 months earlier in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer, coming in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Turf and the Grade 1 Manhattan here last month when beaten a neck by stablemate Deterministic in a race postponed 24 hours and shortened to 1 1/8 miles due to similarly heavy downpours here on June 7.
Far Bridge is trained by Miguel Clement for LSU Stables. A son of English Channel, he negotiated the distance over the yielding course in 2:15.38 and returned $3.10 to win as a prohibitive favorite. He was given a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Strategy went out the window [after the scratches], Clement said. “Joel knows the horse very well, he’s won five of his last seven starts. I told him ‘You know him inside out. You’re the best. He’s the best. You two will figure it out.’ ”
Clement said he was not the least concerned despite the heavy rains that inundated the local area shortly after 8:00 a.m.
“I walked the turf course around 11:30 and I thought it was in very good condition,” Clement advised. “Very even. Very safe. I had zero reservations. He can handle anything. He won the Joe Hirsch from last in a complete bog last year and the Sword Dancer on very firm turf from wire to wire. The ground and distance doesn’t matter. He’s a top class horse and good enough to compete at the highest level from a mile and one eighth to a mile and one half.”
As for a potential title defense in the Sword Dancer (Grade 1 on August 9) for Far Bridge, Clement left little doubt as to his intentions.
“One hundred percent. We will be there.”
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