Randomized, by a head bob.
Champion Idiomatic gave it all she had in the stretch, but a gutty effort by Randomized was enough to win by a head in a thrilling finish to the $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) on Saturday at the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga undercard.
Crupi. Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo.
Crupi ($7.10) came through with a last-to-first rally in a perfectly timed ride by Irad Ortiz, Jr., and won by a half-length over 9-10 favorite Bendoog, giving trainer Todd Pletcher his third consecutive win in this race.
Last in the field of seven, Crupi was sixth with a quarter-mile to go, was taken four wide and overtook the field for the victory.
The 4-year-old chestnut colt ran a disappointing 10th in the Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 20, but returned to winning form at the Spa.
“He’s been a little slower developer, but he’s starting to get things together,’’ Pletcher said. “He ran so poorly in Dubai it didn’t take anything out of him.”
The winning time for the 1 ¼ miles was 2:02.71.
Pletcher won the Surburban with Charge It in 2023 and Dynamic One in 2022.
“By the turn, I asked him to go forward, and he did, and he kept kicking in until the end,’’ Ortiz said. “He really stays. At the eighth-pole, I asked him a couple times and he kept coming; kept grinding.”
Brazil-bred Ice Chocolat ($50) pulled a huge upset of Spa favorite Casa Creed, taking the lead from the start and hanging tough for a one-length victory over Mysterious Night.
Trained by Mark Casse, the 6-year-old gelding posted his first graded stakes win in the United States and improved to 26-7-6-4. Jose Ortiz was aboard.
Casa Creed, the Fourstardave (G1) at the Spa the past two summers and the winner of the 2023 Kelso (G2) at the Spa, ran fifth most of the way and ended up fourth in the field of seven going a mile on the turf.
“You have to give a lot of credit to Jose. I don’t give instructions. I told him to just play the break and see what happens. He said he broke running and from there, catch me if you can,’’ Casse said.
Baby Yoda. NYRA/Coglianese Photo.
Baby Yoda pressed pace-setter Gun It and then drew off in the stretch for a six-length victory over Ninetyprcentmaddie in the first graded stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard.
The 6-year-old Florida-bred gelding trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott ended a nice-racing losing streak in May with a win in an allowance optional claimer last month. The win was his first graded stakes win.
Baby Yoda ($20.40) was ridden by Eric Cancel and covered the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:14.62 over a fast track.
Baby Yoda improved to 9-4-4 in 25 starts for earnings of $837,220. Gun Pilot, the 7-10 favorite, finished third in the seven-horse field.