Sports Page Closes Well to Grab the Headline BG Stakes

By Nynl Stables on April 4, 2021

BG Stakes (Grade 2) (KYD)- $800.000 Purse
KEE- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
April 3, 2021

Sports Page had a strong two year old season, hitting the board in three Grade 1’s, including a second place finish in the BC Juvenile. He’d be sold afterwards, for $700.000, but up to this point, had not done much of anything for John Henry. That would change on Saturday in the BC Stakes, as this Charley Farley gelding reminded everyone who he is with a come from behind win in the race, getting himself into the KYD. It becomes the first win in this stake both for John Henry, and for jockey G Saez. The race was run in a time of 1:47.88, which is a new stake record! Congratulations to them on this big win! Let’s look at it!

(½ Mile- :47.49)- The race begins with the field setting themselves into groups of four out of the starting gate. Leading the way with a slight edge in that first group is Booster, from Estero Farms, who is running in the fourth lane, but by the time they hit the half mile mark, it’s Saratoga Stud’s Invade The Storm pulling out in front by nearly a length, with Booster now fourth. The two horses in the middle there, Smokey Stover’s Marine One, and the Whitewater Stables-trained Kinch, are running in the second and third spots. The second group of four, stalking the top group, has Contraction (Aer Stables) running in the fifth spot, then it’s Ricki Takki Tavi (La Canada Racehorses), Holy Water (D J C Racing Stables) and Lions Destiny (Estero Farms). I Show You The Way (Alydar Stables) is ninth, but he was not there the whole time as he made a big push forward within the first turn. Running to his inside, there are four of them, including Test The Party Code (Mb Stables), Afterburner (Arindel), and our eventual winner, John Henry’s Sports Page. The filly, E Road (Fractious) is along the inside, and Abominable (Mb Stables) trails.

(¾ Mile- 1:10.98)- Completing the backstretch trip and moving into the turn, Invade The Storm is out in front and leading second place Kinch by a length and a half. That one has a length on Marine One, Contradiction, and Booster now. Ricki Tikki Tavi runs by himself for now while in the fourth lane, ahead of Holy Water, Afterburner, and Sports Page, as the John Henry runner begins to creep forward a little bit while having some clear running room in which to handle the turn.

(Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Rounding the turn, and entering the stretch, Invade The Storm continues to lead the way, and maintains his length and a half lead. For the moment, no new challengers are emerging, as it is still Kinch in the second spot, but that one is not closing. Contraction and Booster move up a spot and gain some ground, and Ricki Tikki Tavi maintains his position while continuing to run four wide. Marine One is still in the picture, too. Sports Page has been passing some horses a little further back, getting around Holy Water and Afterburner, and now in the seventh position. He would have to make a great run in the stretch, as there was still three and a half lengths to make up on Invade The Storm. The good news was that he didn’t have anyone blocking him, so he could make a clear run and slip to the outside of Booster.

(Finish- 1:47.88)- Invade The Storm would do what he could, but in the final furlong, there would be no one better than Sports Page. For the first time while in John Henry silks, Sports Page showed that ability that made him an exciting two year old to watch, as he found that lane to the outside of Booster, and made the charge for the win. It would be close at the wire, but he would get it done, punching his ticket to the KYD. Invade The Storm will likely get there as well with his fine second place showing. It was about a length and a half to the third place Contradiction, getting that by a nose over Ricki Tikki Tavi. It’s another length to Booster, Kinch, and Afterburner. Rounding it out, and not making any form of impact here at the end, are Marine One, Test The Party Code, Holy Water, E Road, Lions Destiny, Abominable, and I Show You The Way.

About The Winner- Sports Page, trained by John Henry, and ridden to victory by G Saez, is a three year old gelding by Charley Farley, and is out of Miss Page. He was bred in Florida by Greeko Holdem as a first quarter two year old, and acquired via John Henry in a December 2020 private sale for $700.000. The win is his second in eight starts, and his first stake win of any sort. His career earnings are now $1,055.260.

Horse Name

Owner Name

Jockey

Odds

Fin

Time

SRF

Sports Page

John Henry

Saez G

6.20

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