Spend A Buck Earns a Bunch With Romp in Garden State

Spend A Buck not only won the $304,500 Garden State Stakes by 9 1/2 lengths Saturday night, he also ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:45 4/5, one of the fastest times ever for that distance.

After the race, Spend A Buck’s trainer, Cam Gambolati, announced that the colt would run in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 4. A victory there and in the Jersey Derby here at Garden btate Park May 27 would mean a $2-million bonus for the horse’s owner, Dennis Diaz, who bought Spend A Buck for $12,500.

Diaz is already way ahead, because Spend A Buck’s victory in the Garden State boosted his career earnings over $1 million. Despite never being seriously threatened, he was only two-fifths of a second off the record, the 1:45 2/5 that Secretariat recorded while winning the Marlboro Cup at Belmont Park in 1973.

A heavy favorite of the crowd of 22,374, Spend A Buck paid $2.80, $2.60 and $2.40. Second in the field of nine was I Am The Game, while Do It Again Dan was third.

“He ran so powerfully, I think he’ll have no problem getting the distance,” said Angel Cordero, Spend A Buck’s jockey, referring to the 1-mile Derby. “A lot depends on who wants to run with him, but he will have to be a pretty fast one. He was as strong at the finish as he was at the start. It was one fantastic race for him.”

Said trainer Gambolati: “I am glad that he was able to relax going around two turns. This horse is getting better every time he races.”

Chris Antley, who rode I Am The Game, said of his mount: “He doesn’t mind having a little dirt kicked up in his face anymore. He’s really learning. He ran a super game race. He was really running strong at the end. I think he can keep improving off of this race.”