Clear Win for Lost In The Fog

Hurricane Dennis stopped Lost In The Fog. But only for a day.

Unable to run Saturday because storm-related problems forced Calder Race Course to cancel its card, the undefeated Lost In The Fog notched his eighth win Sunday, cruising by 7 1/4 lengths under a hand ride from Russell Baze in the $300,000 Carry Back Stakes at the Miami track.

Lost In The Fog, who’s owned by Harry Aleo, an 85-year-old San Franciscan, has now won at six tracks. Three of his wins have come in Florida, two in New York, one in Arizona and two at his home track, Golden Gate Fields in Albany, Calif.

“We’ve asked a lot of him,” said trainer Greg Gilchrist. “He’s made five trips across the U.S. and just keeps on going. He’s an amazing animal.”

Lost In the Fog will come home Tuesday, then the 3-year-old colt will make one more cross-country trip to run in the $250,000 King’s Bishop, a Grade I race at Saratoga on Aug. 27.

“I’m glad he’ll have the seven weeks between races,” Gilchrist said. “I think I’ll get him into Saratoga a couple of weeks ahead of the race. I’ve never been to Saratoga, and I’ve heard all the stuff about the track, it being the ‘Graveyard of Champions’ and all that, and I’d like to work him at least once over the track before he runs there.”

With rain falling Sunday, Lost In The Fog broke sharply on a fast track and led all the way, finishing up six furlongs in 1:09 1/5 , which was two-fifths of a second slower than the track record. He paid $2.10, $2.10 and $2.10 across the board, earning $177,000. Qureall finished second, and Hot Space was third.

“Russell and I discussed the race,” Gilchrist said, “and we thought we’d try to sit just off the pace, because the horses that were going to the front weren’t getting the job done. But when our horse outbroke everybody, there was no sense pulling him back.”

A day late, Calder ran its “Summit of Speed,” which was eight sprint stakes worth $1.9 million. Some of the horses will eventually compete in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Belmont Park on Oct. 29.

Two races before the Carry Back, Baze, who recently returned after suffering a broken collarbone in a spill at Golden Gate, won the $100,000 Calder Turf Sprint Handicap with Southern Cal, a 9-1 shot who’s stabled at Calder.

California-based horses won a pair of races, Woke Up Dreamin capturing the $500,000 Smile Sprint Handicap and Leave Me Alone taking the $300,000 Azalea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Woke Up Dreamin, ridden by Mike Smith for owner Mike Pegram and trainer Bob Baffert, beat Toscani by three lengths and paid $5.20. The 5-year-old son of Holy Bull has won four of his last five starts.

Kent Desormeaux rode Leave Me Alone, who is owned by the S.M. Mitchell Ranch and trained by Eric Kruljac. Leave Me Alone beat the favorite, Hide And Chic, by a nose and paid $8.20.

Madcap Escapade, who ran fifth at 2-5 on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs, rebounded with a 5 1/4 -length win in the $500,000 Princess Rooney Handicap. Ridden by Jerry Bailey, the Frank Brothers trainee won for the seventh time in nine tries. Brothers’ options would seem to be the Breeders’ Cup Distaff or taking on males in the Sprint. Madcap Escapade, paying $3 to win, sent her earnings over the $1-million mark.

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Gary Stevens, registering his fifth stakes win of the meet, rode Deputy G to a half-length win over R Loyal Man in the $150,000 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs. A foul claim by Rafael Bejarano, the rider of R Loyal Man, for interference in the stretch was disallowed by the stewards. Deputy G, who has won both of his starts, paid $5.20.

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At Hollywood Park, two Bay Meadows-based 4-year-olds, Siren Lure and Stormin’ Lyon, ran 1-2 in the $79,500 Robert K. Kerlan Memorial Handicap. Siren Lure, who has been claimed out of races three times this year, gave jockey Alex Solis his third win of the day.... Woodlander, making his stakes debut, won the $100,000 Lexington at Belmont Park.