The Audubon ($275.00 Purse)
CD- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
May 30, 2026

With his resume, Gaelic Commander was a pretty clear favorite to win The Audubon, but apparently the morning line oddsmakers forgot to look at him. Getting him at 9/2 was a gift and a half, and the gelding showed why he should have been 2/5 instead with a workmanlike two-length win. He’d win in wire-to-wire fashion, which is not how he had been running tactically of late, but is how he won the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint. Gaelic Commander is trained by High Voltage, who wins this race for the first time. Jockey J R Velazquez is now a two-time winner. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:45.35, and that is a new stake record! Let’s take a look at it:

(½ Mile- :46.81)- Our eventual winner, Gaelic Commander, goes right to the front for High Voltage, and will have the field cleared by a length and a half prior to entering the first time. He’ll cruise around this turn looking good, and after half a mile, his lead is close to two lengths. No Prince holds the second spot for Mb Stables with The Sidley Stud’s Izzys Brindle to his inside. Endless Star runs right behind his stablemate, No Prince while Immersion (Fractious) is a length behind him. Then, we have a break of about three to Phantom Thunder (Ajm Stables).

(3/4 Mile- 1:10.19)- Gaelic Commander is in control of the race, gracefully running down the backstretch and entering the turn with now a full two length margin to his closest competitor. No Prince holds that spot, and is now himself clear by a length on third place Izzys Brindle. Next, it’s Endless Star, followed by Immersion, with still a big gap to Phantom Thunder.

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Out in front, Gaelic Commander was in cruise control, showing that he did not have to come from off the pace to win. At the top of the stretch, he only seemed to be getting stronger, comfortably leading by two over No Prince. That one is a clear second best at this point, with Izzys Brindle trying to keep up. For fourth, Immersion caught Endless Star and looked to go on by. As for Phantom Thunder, if he was waiting to hit his best stride, the time was now to do so.

(Finish- 1:45.35)- While it was something that did require a full effort, Gaelic Commander was making this look like a stroll in the park. Out in front right from the get go, the horse who’s career earnings were double the rest of the field combined was in a class to himself here. With no one truly challenging him at any point, he wins by two and a half. Immersion’s outside bid allows him to complete the exacta, and No Prince edges out Izzys Brindle in the show photo. Endless Star and a lackluster Phantom Thunder round it out.

About The Winner- Gaelic Commander, trained by High Voltage and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a three-year-old gelding by Commanding The Gale and is out of Bee Pure Chai. He was bred in California by Barcelona Farms as a first quarter two-year-old, and was acquired by High Voltage in a November 2025 private sale for $400.00. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his sixth in 11 starts and his fifth stake win. His career earnings are now $1,681.80.

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded