HORSE RACING : Silverbulletday Wins in Belmont Return

This was Silverbulletday’s first Belmont Park race since her seventh-place finish in the Belmont Stakes in June.

This time the race was three-eighths of a mile shorter and there were no colts to contend with. After an erratic start Saturday, jockey Jerry Bailey moved the 3-year-old filly into contention, and at the end of 1 1/8 miles, Silverbulletday was a 1 3/4-length winner in the $200,000 Gazelle Handicap.

The Gazelle was Silverbulletday’s 14th win in 16 starts and her 11th consecutive win against fillies. Silverbulletday hasn’t been beaten by her own gender since running fourth in the Del Mar Debutante in August of last year.

Suspecting that there was little chance that Silverbulletday would finish worse than third in a six-horse field, bettors pounded the windows with show bets. Of $1,014,359 in the show pool, $976,0257 was bet on trainer Bob Baffert’s filly. Only $202,278 was bet on Silverbulletday to win. Her across-the-board payoffs were $2.50, $2.20 and $2.10, with Belmont Park forced to chip in more than $180,000 from its own coffers to pay off all the show bettors.

Silverbulletday, who is owned by Mike Pegram, hit the wire in 1:47 3/5, missing the stakes record by two-fifths of a second. The late-running Queen’s Word ran second and Awful Smart was third. Silverbulletday, ridden by Jerry Bailey, carried 124 pounds, spotting the others between nine and 12 pounds.

Silverbulletday is expected to run in the Beldame Stakes at Belmont on Oct. 9. Among the Beldame candidates is the 4-year-old Banshee Breeze, considered the best older filly or mare on dirt. The ultimate goal for both of them is the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 6.

Horse Racing Notes

Val’s Prince won the $500,000 Man o’ War at Belmont, where Single Empire, the San Juan Capistrano winner, ran second and favored Honor Glide was last. . . . After two dull races at Del Mar, Big Jag was a three-quarter-length winner over Men’s Exclusive in the $180,000 Bay Meadows Breeders’ Cup Sprint Handicap. Big Jag, paying $10.80 to win, was ridden by Jose Valdivia for trainer Tim Pinfield. . . . Trainer Eddie Truman, who was hot during the recently completed Del Mar meeting, shipped Casino King to Remington Park in Oklahoma for a 1 3/4-length win in the $135,000 Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. Memorial Breeders’ Cup Handicap. Corey Black rode Casino King, who paid $5.80.