LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (CMC):
Shaun Bridgmohan's disappointing Kentucky Derby mount Pyro rebounded with a solid win in the Northern Dancer Stakes on Saturday and Shaun's brother Jermaine also picked up a stakes victory in US horse racing Saturday.
Shaun piloted Pyro to victory by 1-3/4 lengths in the US$190,925 Northern Dancer over 1-1/16th miles at Churchill Downs in one minute 43.53 seconds.
Jermaine piloted Dixie Dreamer to a narrow victory in the US$86,000 U Can Do It Stakes at Miami's Calder as the Jamaican brothers enjoyed added-money success just about half an hour apart at different racetracks.
In the 4:49 p.m. Northern Dancer Stakes at Churchill Downs, Pyro looked sharp after his eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby a month ago to win for Bridgmohan and trainer Steve Asmussen.
Pyro, one of the fancied Derby entries - the third favourite at 11-to-2 - for the May 3 'Run for the Roses', stalked the leaders for most of the trip until Bridgmohan urged him forward leaving the far turn.
Good win
He pounced on the front-running My Pal Charlie as the field straightened for the home stretch and Bridgmohan kept him going for a good win, fending off a determined challenge from Kentucky Derby 12th-place finisher Visionaire.
Pyro, a winner of the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds earlier this year, went off as the 2-to-1 second favourite.
"Obviously, he's tactical and he's so classy. You can do whatever you want with him. Steve (Asmussen) and his crew did a fabulous job," said Bridgmohan after his 32nd victory of the current Churchill Downs Spring Meet.
"He's been a temperamental horse, but he was fabulous today. The work that they've put into him has, obviously, paid off," he added.
Bridgmohan is fifth in the jockeys' standings with just under a month remaining in the season.
Robby Albarado, who won featured US$1 million Stephen Foster Stakes with Horse-of-the-Year Curlin, leads the riders with 49 wins, chased by Miguel Mena (43), Julien Leparoux (40), Calvin Borel (34), and Bridgmohan.
Greater challenge
In Florida, Shaun's younger brother Jermaine had to work a bit harder for his win in the 5:24 pm added money event.
Dixie Dreamer, trained by Martin Wolfson, took the U Can Do It Stakes by a neck, clocking one minute 11.07 seconds for the six-furlong trip.
The favourite R Girl Doesn't Bluff (3-5) held a commanding lead at the eighth pole but Dixie Dreamer was gaining fast on the outside and arrived at the winning post just in time for the narrow victory at odds of 3-1.
The win was only the fifth of the season for Bridgmohan, whose brilliant start to his career was stalled by injuries.
"I was just sitting back and waiting patiently for the speed to start coming back to me before I moved on her," said the 19-year-old native of Spanish Town, Jamaica.
"When I asked her to go, she took off. I put her towards the middle of the track just to keep her in the clear," added Bridgmohan, who won the 2006 Tropical at Calder jockeys' title with a record 110 winners.
Venezuela's former T&T champion Wilmer Galviz was also a winner at Calder on Saturday, scoring in the 4-1/2 furlongs sixth race with Grand Cash (8-1) by 1-1/4 lengths.
