Carter Handicap (Grade 1)

THERE were two US Grade 1s for older horses with the seven furlong Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct producing a decisive winner in the Bill Mott-trained Godolphin colt Speaker’s Corner.

The four-year-old son of Street Sense won by four and a half lengths. He led by a length through a half-mile in 46:11sec and increased to a four-length margin in 1m 9.40secs for six furlongs before crossing the line ahead of Reinvestment Risk in 1m 21.34secs for the seven furlongs.

“He is a horse who we have always been very high on. We figured out what he wants to do. He’s a very good miler,” jockey Junior Alvarado said of the winner of six of his nine starts.

The June 11th Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap mile, would be the next stop for Speaker’s Corner and a meeting with the unbeaten flying machine Flightline who is reported on the comeback trail.

Going Global conquers again

PHIL D’Amato’s Irish-bred filly Going Global remained unbeaten on the Santa Anita Park turf with a comfortable one-and-three-quarter-length win in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes on the Derby card, under Umberto Rispoli.

Going Global, who often comes late, this time took command leaving the quarter pole and the daughter of Mehmas was too good for her three rivals. She has won seven of her nine stateside starts.

“She did it very easily. That last one on the dirt, [American Oaks was moved off the turf] that was my mistake. I should have never run her that day. We are going to keep her on the grass the rest of the year and see where we are at year’s end.”

Going Global is now unbeaten in her five starts, all stakes races, over the Santa Anita turf.

Santa Anita Oaks

Desert Dawn was the outsider of the Santa Anita Oaks field but she sprung a surprise when closing from eight lengths off the lead, the daughter of Cupid outbattled the favourite Adare Manor and emerged victorious by a neck.

The second, an imposing looking filly, could still step up on this form as jockey Velazquez felt she was below her best. “She broke slowly and was in a good position in the backstretch, but she just didn’t run the way she usually does.”

Keeneland

Keeneland had a Grade 1 fillies’ contest last Saturday in the Madison Stakes over seven furlongs on turf and there was a bit of a surprise when the Brad Cox-trained four-year-old Just One Time beat the Grade 1 winner Bell’s The One by three-quarters of a length, with Wesley Ward’s Kimari back in third.

From off the pace, Just This Time moved from eighth in a nine-horse field to run down Bell’s The One in the last two furlongs. The second was coming of a long break back since last November. Kimari is likely be aimed at Royal Ascot again.

Ward’s Golden Pal also looks Royal Ascot bound again after an impressive win in the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland.

The son of Uncle Mo and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. went through early fractions of 20.94 and 43.58 and sailed to a four-and-three-quarter-length triumph, with the trainer saying: “I’ve had some fast horses, but none like him.”

His previous European trips resulted in a second in the 2020 Norfolk Stakes and a seventh as second favourite in last year’s Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

There was another classic contender on show at the track on the Friday when the Curlin filly Nest ran out a very easy winner of the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes.