The Hunter produced a sustained advance to capture the Amsterdam-G2 on July 31, 2026, prevailing by a nose after racing sixth through the opening half mile. Sent off at 9/2, the three-year-old gelding completed 6 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy Saratoga surface in 1:19.38 for owner and trainer Maxmillion Farm and jockey Bridgmohan S X.

Race Recap

The Hunter secured the $250.00 Amsterdam-G2 with a determined late run, narrowly defeating Perfect Encore after the pair exchanged control during the final stages. Blooming Attack supplied the early speed, while Perfect Encore moved ahead at the third call before The Hunter completed his rally at the finish.

The victory was The Hunter’s fourth from 14 lifetime starts and his third win in seven appearances during 2026. He also improved his wet-track record to two wins and one third from three starts.

Perfect Encore substantially exceeded market expectations, finishing second after briefly taking command. Blooming Attack stayed involved throughout and held third, while Unpreventable, the post-time favorite, improved from last to fourth.

The official fractions were :22.4, :47, 1:12.4, and 1:19.1.

The Running

Blooming Attack established the first-call lead through the opening quarter in :22.4, holding a one-length advantage over Perfect Encore. Magenta followed in third, London was fourth, Need Cash Now raced fifth, The Hunter was sixth, and Unpreventable trailed the seven-horse field.

The order at the front remained unchanged through the half mile in :47. Blooming Attack continued to lead by one length over Perfect Encore. Magenta held third, London remained fourth, Need Cash Now stayed fifth, The Hunter continued in sixth, and Unpreventable remained seventh.

Perfect Encore moved ahead at the third call after six furlongs in 1:12.4. Blooming Attack slipped to second, while The Hunter advanced sharply from sixth to third. Magenta moved back to fourth, Need Cash Now remained fifth, Unpreventable improved to sixth, and London dropped to seventh.

The Hunter continued his advance through the concluding portion and reached the finish narrowly ahead of Perfect Encore. Blooming Attack held third, Unpreventable completed a late move into fourth, Need Cash Now maintained fifth, Magenta finished sixth, and London completed the field.

Each Runner Mentioned

The Hunter advanced from sixth to third at the third call and completed the move by narrowly securing the victory.

Perfect Encore raced second through the opening half mile, took the lead at the third call, and was narrowly denied at the finish. His runner-up performance at long odds was considerably better than market expectations.

Blooming Attack led through the first two calls, remained second at the third call, and finished third.

Unpreventable, the post-time favorite, raced seventh through the first two calls before improving to sixth and then fourth.

Need Cash Now occupied fifth position at every recorded call and finished in that same placement.

Magenta raced third through the opening half mile, moved back to fourth at the third call, and completed the race in sixth.

London began in fourth, remained there through the half mile, and then dropped to seventh during the latter portion.

The Hunter is by Hunterman out of Last Crusade, was bred in Kentucky by Hunterman Stable, and is currently owned by Maxmillion Farm. His lifetime record now stands at 14 starts, four wins, three seconds, and one third, with earnings of $537.20.

Track: Sloppy
Time: :22⁴  :47  1:12⁴  1:19¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 6 – 3 Paid 581.00
$1 Trifecta: 6 – 3 – 7 Paid 1,684.80

Scratched: None

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES