DEL MAR, Calif. - Motorious was awarded the victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap for turf sprinters at Del Mar after first-place finisher Reef Runner was disqualified and placed second for causing interference shortly after the start.
Reef Runner, who broke from the outside post in a field of 12, finished a nose in front of Motorious, but stewards Grant Baker, Luis Jauregui, and Kim Sawyer ruled in a unanimous decision that Reef Runner drifted to the inside a few strides after the start, causing a chain reaction of interference that affected Queen Maxima and Motorious.
Motorious, who was last after the first furlong, rallied wide through the stretch to just miss catching Reef Runner, who ran five furlongs in 55.90 seconds and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96, a career best.
The stewards interviewed jockeys Paco Lopez, who rode Reef Runner, and Antonio Fresu, who was aboard Motorious, and reviewed video for eight minutes before announcing the disqualification.
Motorious thus earns a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint over the same course and distance on Nov. 1. Motorious was fifth in the 2023 BC Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, and second by a neck in the 2024 running at Del Mar.
Reef Runner’s disqualification left Florida-based trainer David Fawkes angered.
“You don’t just lose” the victory, Fawkes said. “It was a win and you’re in race. It’s why I came here. I think it was a bad call.”
Fresu paid credit to Motorious for overcoming the early trouble and nearly winning the race outright after a wide rally.
“I lost so many lengths,” Fresu said. “I checked him pretty hard.”
Motorious was 11th with a furlong remaining, trailing by about six lengths.
“When I pulled him out, I can only think of one word – impressive,” Fresu said.
“I had to go all the way around. If that doesn’t happen, I win by two.”
Beyond Brilliant, a 7-year-old making his third start after a layoff of more than 31 months, closed from 10th to finish third by a length at 47-1.
“I thought he ran so well,” trainer John Shirreffs said.
No Nay Hudson finished fourth, followed by Book Smart, Queen Maxima, Sorrento Sky, Sumter, Boss Sully, Virat, First Peace and Wound Up. Book Smart set a quick pace of 21.41 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.06 for a half-mile before fading.
Motorious, a 7-year-old British-bred gelding by Muhaarar, races for Tony Fanticola and trainer Phil D’Amato. Motorious has won 10 of 23 starts and earned $957,604.
The win gave D’Amato his fifth stakes win of the current Del Mar meeting, leaving him briefly in a tie for sixth place with the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel with 70 career stakes wins at Del Mar.
D’Amato later won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap with Gold Phoenix to claim sixth place alone. Bob Baffert is the all-time winningest trainer in stakes with 182 victories through Saturday.
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