Horse Racing Roundup : Seeking the Gold Wins at Belmont Park

Seeking the Gold, the seventh-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, pulled away in the final eighth of a mile to win the $234,800 Peter Pan Stakes for 3-year-olds at New York’s Belmont Park Sunday.

It was the second stakes win of his career for the son of Mr. Prospector, who covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 3/5 on a fast track. He finished two lengths ahead of Tejano, with Gay Rights another 1 lengths back in third.

Ridden by Pat Day and carrying 120 pounds, Seeking the Gold paid $3.40, $2.60 and $2.40. Tejano, trained by Wayne Lukas and ridden by Jacinto Vasquez under 126 pounds, paid $3.80 and $2.80 and Gay Rights paid $3 to show.

Today at Belmont, Gulch, who barely missed a 20-year-old record in winning the Carter Handicap May 7, takes on seven other horses in the Metropolitan Handicap, first leg of New York’s handicap Triple Crown.

And today at Garden State Park in Cherry Hill, N.J., trainers Woody Stepens and Wayne Lukas will tangle again.

Stephens will saddle Cefis for the $500,000 Jersey Derby, and Lukas has two horses in the race, Tsarbaby and Dynaformer.

“I expect the shootout between Woody and Wayne to continue,” said Bob Quigley, president of Garden State Park.

The Jersey Derby is the first major battle between Stephens and Lukas since the Preakness May 21. Eleven 3-year-olds will run in today’s Grade II stakes, to be televised by ESPN at 2 p.m., PDT.

Cefis, who finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Preakness, was made the 4-1 second choice in the 1-mile Jersey Derby. Tsarbaby and Dynaformer were the 2-1 early favorites.

At Canterbury Downs in Shakopee, Minn., Balbonella chased down favored Bayakoa down the stretch and drew away to win Sunday’s $150,000 Lady Canterbury by two lengths over defending champion Nature’s Way.

Balbonella, a turf specialist ridden by Marco Castaneda, made her move at the top of the stretch and swept past the rest of the field of 12 fillies and mares for her seventh victory in 15 tries.

The 4-year-old filly, trained by Neil Drysdale, covered Canterbury Downs’ one-mile turf course in 1:34 3/5. She paid $16.20, $7 and $4.60. Favored Bayakoa finished sixth.