Crosby Stakes (Grade 1) (BC)- $400.000 Purse
DMR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
July 26, 2025

Last month, General Zod just missed picking up his first stake win in the $300.000 Hanshin at CD before settling for second in a photo. He’d head to DMR on Saturday hoping to do a little better while cutting back to a sprint for the first time in eleven months. It would prove to be the right move, as the colt would not be denied in the stretch for the win! This finish not only gives trainer Royalty Stables the top share of the $400.000 purse but also sends him and his horse to the BC Sprint! This is the first win in the Crosby for both Royalty Stables and jockey F Geroux. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:08.77, which is a middle of the road such time for the race. Here’s a look at it:

(1/4 Mile- :21.87)- From the outside, Lennon is pushed forward for Mb Stables to take the early lead, but also breaking well are Maxmillion Farm’s Crumbler, who is towards the inside, as well as Heeza Dime, from Asgar. They’re the top three horses as we move down the backstretch in a quick opening quarter. Aggravated Jung, out of Noblepark, stalks the frontrunners in fourth, about three quarters of a length ahead of three others who run evenly with one another. One of these is the eventual winner of the race, who races just to the inside of Aggravated Jung. The Mb Stables- trained Dorian Gray runs with them on the rail, and towards the outside we have The Sidley Stud’s Only Way Is Up. Within a length of those three are the post time favorite from Mb Stables, Edward The Good, and Chisel, for Pan Farms. They’re followed by Gorilla Glue (Maxmillion Farm), then High Time (Maxmillion Farm), and Licit (D J C Racing Stables).

(½ Mile- :44.70)- Moving around the turn, Crumbler sticks to the rail and looks very comfortable in that spot as he takes the lead for a brief period of time. However, Lennon will reclaim that position entering the top of the stretch. Heeza Dime is able to keep pace with these two, running between them and within a length. Along the outside, Only Way Is Up also handles the turn well and moves into the fourth spot, while General Zod also pushes forward and is within two lengths at this point. F Geroux has options here of what lane he wishes to take his horse to try and take home the victory. Dorian Gray is running well, also, but will need a lane to open up to make a move of his own. Meanwhile, Aggravated Jung is having trouble keeping up with these, and we hadn’t seen much out of Edward The Good or Gorilla Glue yet. Chisel was lacking response, and further back, High Time made a wide move on exit of the turn to try and sweep by the competition. Licit did not have a similar urging.

(Finish- 1:08.77)- With a furlong to go, Lennon was looking pretty good as he hoped to finish this off with a win, as Only Way Is Up seemed to be his biggest threat. Heeza Dime was getting closer, and Crumbler was hanging in there. However, they left a big opening for General Zod to come on through, and in the final moments of the race, he would take advantage of it, getting back everyone in front of him to hit the wire first for his first stake win! Heeza Dime will take second, and third is Dorian Gray. Let’s talk about his bad luck for a second, as he had no room to run in the stretch, until very late, and he did all he could to sneak into third. High Time ran well on the outside to nip Only Way Is Up for the fourth-place check. Stablemates Edward The Good and Lennon dead heat for sixth, topping Aggravated Jung, Crumbler, Gorilla Glue, Licit, and Chisel.

About The Winner- General Zod, trained by Royalty Stables and ridden to victory by F Gerou, is a four-year-old colt by Wired Up and is out of Toc Army Wife. He was bred by Tockyocky in California as a fourth quarter two-year-old and was acquired by Royalty Stables for $300.000 while he was still unraced in a November 2023 private sale. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his fourth in 16 starts and first stake win of any sort. His career earnings are now $609.080.

Track: Fast
Time: :21⁴  :44³  :56³  1:08³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 6 – 9 Paid 117.50
$1 Trifecta: 6 – 9 – 1 Paid 1,506.20

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES