OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It was as easy as it looked on paper for Far Bridge in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Man o’ War Stakes at Aqueduct.
Sitting snugly against the rail, just behind the pacesetters, under Joel Rosario, while within two lengths of the lead, Far Bridge shot through an opening entering the far turn and continued on to a better-than-it-looks-on-paper, one-length victory over a game Anglophile in the Man o’ War. It was five lengths back to Padiddle in third. Capture the Flag and Decanted completed the order of finish.
Far Bridge, a 5-year-old son of English Channel, won for the eighth time in 16 starts and pushed his career earnings to $2,212,980. It was his fifth graded stakes victory.
Far Bridge has been described as a quirky horse to ride. He prefferd being on the inside and on Saturday he never left the rail.
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“Whenever he’s got the rail to help him, he’s always good,” winning trainer Christophe Clement said. “It’s when he’s in the middle of something” things can get tricky, he added.
Far Bridge was on the rail while longshot Decanted went six furlongs in 1:15.58 under Irad Ortiz Jr. Going into the far turn, Ortiz left room for Rosario who took advantage, shooting Far Bridge through it entering the turn. From there, the race was basically over though Anglophile did try while a few paths wide under Javier Castellano.
“I just tried to be there as much as I could,” Rosario said. “There was an opportunity to go at that point because I didn’t know what was going to happen after we got to the turn. It seemed like he was good with it, nice and easy. He was the best horse in the race.”
Far Bridge, owned by LSU Stables, covered the 1 3/8 miles in 2:17.24 (99 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $2.60. There was $145,397 to show wagered on Far Bridge out of $169,948 in pool.
Rosario said Far Bridge is getting a little easier to ride.
“He’s getting a little better,” Rosario said. “Last time I rode him at Gulfstream, I even went outside and he did great. It seemed like he’s figuring it out a little bit, staying straight a little more now.”
Far Bridge’s victory came a week after the Clement pair of Deterministic and Carson’s Run finished one-two in the Fort Marcy Stakes at Aqueduct. While Far Bridge is a definite for the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan on June 7 at Saratoga, Deterministic and Carson’s Run could be considered for that race as well, Clement said.
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