VINO Rosso successfully stretched out to 10 furlongs to give trainer Todd Pletcher a major contender in the older horse division stateside when he won the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on Monday.

The son of Curlin had John Velazquez aboard and the four-year-old overcame a wide trip around the first turn and edged away from the favourite Gift Box with Lone Sailor a distant third in the field of seven.

His last appearance had been over seven furlongs and Velazquez said of Vino Rosso’s fourth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap, “We know we’re going to be close. There was only one speed in the race.”

Longshot Blitzkreig set early fractions of 22.97 and 46.37 just ahead of favourite Gift Box. In the back stretch, Vino Rosso sat third but it was a two-horse race from the far turn.

“He’s always been knocking on the door - very close,” Velazquez said. “He just had to put it all together, and he seemed to put it all together today.”

Vino Rosso, racing for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, has now won twice this season beginning with the Stymie Stakes back home in New York.

Last season he ran in two legs of the Triple Crown series, the Kentucky Derby (ninth) and Belmont Stakes (fourth).

“He’s come around as a bigger, stronger, better horse this year,” added Pletcher’s assistant, Amy Mullen, “so we were excited to get him at the right distance.”

Bolo bombs along

The seven-year-old gelding Bolo sprung a shock in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes also on the Santa Anita card last Monday.

Making his second start off nearly a two-year layoff and winless since February 2017, Bolo grabbed the lead from the start and set opening quarter-mile fractions in :23.51, :46.95, and 1:10.44 under Florent Geroux.

Bolo faced a strong field featuring Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile winner and favourite Delta Prince and 2018 Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Catapult among other graded stakes winners.

Bolo showed no signs of feeling the pressure as he maintained at least a length advantage all the way. Owned by Golden Pegasus Racing, he went on to score by a length and a quarter and completing the mile in 1m 34.07secs to give trainer Carla Gaines a big race winner. The former Irish-trained River Boyne beat Bowies Hero by a nose for second. Delta Prince never threatened.

“It’s hard to say in words what this means,” said Carla Gaines of the son of the son of Temple City. “He means everything to our barn, he’s the chief.

“My emotions are coming from the long road back to the track with him and he’s just special.

“He took me to the Kentucky Derby. We didn’t do so well, but we went to the Derby. He got a little tired in the end (in his first race back), but today he didn’t.”

“What an amazing horse and such an amazing job to Carla and her team,” Geroux said. “Last time the horse ran better than what it looked like so I had all the confidence in the world. I knew the horse was ready this time.”

The five-year-old mare Vasilika is becoming one of the most popular runners on the west coast and she won her fourth race in a row this season in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes over nine furlongs at Santa Anita on Monday.

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and ridden by Kentucky Derby-winning rider Flavien Prat, she came with a late run to beat Rymska by a length. She had been claimed by her trainer for just $40,000 last year and has now won $1,232,328.

THERE was an Irish-bred winner of the Group 2 German 1000 Guineas in Dusseldorf last weekend when the Mark Johnston-trained Main Edition, a Zoffany filly, came home a neck to the good over Axana, with the same distance back to Shalona. The favourite, Iconic Choice, was unplaced. The Joe Fanning-partnered winner had finished seventh to Qabala in the Nell Gwyn previously for owner Saif Ali. She was bred by Minch Bloodstock.

THE former Michael Halford-trained Exultant is well established as one of the best horse in Hong Kong and he added to his reputation and number of wins when he took the Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup over a mile and a half at Sha Tin last Sunday.

The son of Teofilo, formerly Irishcorrespondent, and ridden by Zac Purton, was winning his third Group 1 of the year.

The five-year-old, third in the 2017 Irish 2,000 Guineas, wore down Pakistan Star before staying-on stoutly to see off the challenges of Rise High, second, and Dark Dream.

The gelding has now amassed over £3.5 million in prize money since joining Tony Cruz from Ireland and was one of six winners on the day for Zac Purton.

“Exultant was all heart today,” the rider said. “He pulled in the run, which he hasn’t done for quite some time and he was gone at the 600 (metres) but his big heart just continued to carry him to the finish line.

“It was a good, tough, strong effort. That’s credit to the horse and Tony [Cruz]. He’s our best stayer and he showed that again today.”