HORSE RACING TRAVERS STAKES : Rhythm Wins After Being Put on Hold

Disappointed by Rhythm’s second-place finish in the Dwyer and third-place finish in the Haskell Handicap, trainer Shug McGaughey decided “maybe he wants the rider to let him alone to do what he wants.”

“I thought maybe he’s a grind-it-out horse,” McGaughey said. “Get him eight or nine lengths behind and see what happens. Maybe he wants to do it all at once.”

Rhythm, the 1989 2-year-old champion who had won twice in seven previous starts this year, was last under Craig Perret in the 13-horse Travers field Saturday at Saratoga after the first half-mile. After another quarter, he was still 12th.

On the turn, however, he began to move, sweeping past horses and taking the lead slightly inside the sixteenth pole to beat Shot Gun Scott by 3 1/2 lengths before 43,989.

Sir Richard Lewis was third, a neck behind Shot Gun Scott.

“He showed he has the ability we know he has,” said Perret, who came back in the next race to win the $90,150 King’s Bishop Stakes on Housebuster. Housebuster took the lead midway through the turn and easily won the seven-furlong stakes in 1:21 4/5 for his eighth victory in nine starts this year.

He finished 3 1/4 lengths ahead of Toppiano and paid a winning mutuel of $2.60.

Rhythm, owned by Ogden Mills Phipps, completed the 1 1/4 miles on a fast track in 2:02 3/5. He paid $15, $7.80 and $5.60 in earning $707,100 from a purse of $1,178,500.

Shot Gun Scott, a member of the mutuel field with Rowdy Regal, returned $37 and $12 while Sir Richard Lewis, coupled in the betting with Profit Key in the Wayne Lukas entry, paid $7.40.

Shot Gun Scott, ridden by Kerwin Clark, broke first. When the field moved into the clubhouse turn, Belmont Stakes runner-up Thirty Six Red took the lead, followed by Restless Con, Shot Gun Scott and Profit Key.

Thirty Six Red continued to lead down the backstretch and into the final turn, but Sir Richard Lewis, ridden by Gary Stevens, moved ahead of Shot Gun Scott with a quarter-mile remaining. Rhythm then made his move.

The field was reduced to 13 when Le Prince was a late scratch because of the heat, according to trainer Dominick Imperio. The colt won his only lifetime start but has been scratched from three races.

Completing the order of finish were Baron De Vaux, Profit Key, Secret Hello, Go And Go, Thirty Six Red, Rowdy Regal, Yonder, Tee’s Prospect, Restless Con and Solar Splendor.

Each starter carried 126 pounds.