After del Mar DQ Buitert Reef Runner back with a narrow victory. (Benoit photo)
Santa Anita Press Box
Arcadia, California – according to weeks after he was disqualified from the victory in the GIII Green Flash at Del Mar, Rifloper The thread first crossed again in Santa Anita on Saturday and this time the official winner of the Grade II, $ 200,000 Eddie D de -deployment, became around 6 ½ Furlongs on the peat course of the hills.
Reef Runner (5-1), with replacement rider Armando Ayuso aboard the last in the last quarter of mile to Just Edge Yellow Card (6-1) with half a length. It was another three lengths back to Sorrento Sky (5-1) in third place with Longshot PaceSetter Mucho del Oro (25-1) who completed the Superfecta.
“The piece is when I saw a hole open,” said Ayuso. “I went out a bit and when I saw the chance, I shot to my left and my horse reacted beautifully.”
Bred in Florida by owners Alex and Joann Liebong, Reef Runner is a 4-year-old gelding through the big beast. Trained by David Fawkes, he won in a time of 1: 11.65 to achieve his second effort and first at the Graded level.
“He is a very neat horse and he did everything perfectly. He always does that,” Fawkes said.
“I got a little nervous around the eighth pole, but he really dug into,” he added. “With a little moisture on the surface today, I was a bit worried about that, but he came for us.”
Ref Runner gathered in the Vijf-Furlong Groene Flitser on 30 August to finish a nose for racing favorite Autorious. However, Stewards ruled that Reef Runner and Jockey Paco Lopez came in shortly after the break and caused interference, justified the disqualification.
Ayuso was called De Ruiter on Runner only a few hours before the time. Fawkes said that Lopez spoke with Ayuso before the race.
“He clearly gave the correct instructions,” said Fawkes.
Reef Runner improved up to 20: 6-5-5- by $ 502,405 in income. His only earlier profit of the deployment came 51 weeks ago in the Bob Umphrey Turf Stakes in 2024 in Gulfstream Park.
Reef Runner paid $ 13.00, $ 5.00 and $ 3.20. Yellow card, with Kazushi Kimura on board $ 6.00 and $ 3.80 paid. Sorrento Sky
Fractions for the race were 21.74, 44.03 and 1: 05.75.
Armando Ayuso, Win Jockey: ‘Reef Runner was doing great today. I followed Hector (Berrios, Nesso’s Lastharrah) in the beginning and then I saw Umberto (Rispoli, Sorrento Sky), I found out to see what’s going on. Along the piece is when I saw a hole open. I went out a bit and when I saw the chance that I shot left and my horse reacted beautifully. ‘
Davis Fawkes, winning trainer: ‘He is a very neat horse and he did everything perfectly. He always does it.
“I let Paco (Lopez talk to (Ayuso). He won many races on the horse and Paco is a good friend of mine. He clearly had the right instructions.
“I got a little nervous around the eighth post, but he really grooved. With a little moisture on the surface today, I was a bit worried, but he came through for us.”
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