Riskaverse Wins at the Wire

When racing on soggy turf at Keeneland, it is best to stay on the outside part of the course.

Riskaverse, a 7-1 shot who rallied widest of all, was up to collar 5-1 shot Zenda, who also came wide with her run, in the final strides to win the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in Kentucky on Saturday.

Owned and bred by the Fox Ridge Farm and trained by Patrick Kelly, the daughter of Dynaformer won what was arguably the best race of the year for 3-year-old turf fillies. Ridden by Mark Guidry, Riskaverse completed the 1 1/8 miles over a course labeled good in 1:49 4/5.

While the first two finishers and Lush Soldier, a 43-1 shot who finished third, were wide, Wonder Again, the 2-1 favorite, and 2-1 second choice Megahertz got bogged down while trying to rally along the deeper inside. The former, who had won four in a row on the grass for trainer Jimmy Toner, finished fifth, a length in front of Megahertz, who had won five of her first six in this country for owner Michael Bello and trainer Bobby Frankel.

Second and third in her two previous tries in Grade I races, Riskaverse won for the fifth time in 12 starts. She has been consistent, missing the board only twice.

“Mark rode her great,” said Kelly. “She’s a natural closer and the mile and an eighth suits her well and she handles the soft turf.

“She had a few things going for her and she responded with a real nice effort. I don’t know about the Breeders’ Cup [Filly and Mare Turf in only 13 days]. This was sort of the Breeders’ Cup for 3-year-old fillies.”

Making her American debut after winning twice in six starts in England, France and Ireland, Zenda finished six lengths clear of Lush Solider after breaking last under jockey Richard Hughes.

“She ran well,” said Hughes, who rode her in five of her six races overseas. “I thought we were home, but she got tired the last hundred yards.”

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Preparing for the final start of his career in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem worked seven furlongs in 1:24 about 30 minutes before Saturday’s first race at Santa Anita.

With regular exercise rider Dana Barnes aboard, the 3-year-old went the first quarter of a mile in 24 3/5, the half in 48 2/5, six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 and galloped out a mile in 1:38 3/5.

Owned by the Thoroughbred Corp. and trained by Bob Baffert, War Emblem hasn’t run since finishing sixth as the favorite in Del Mar’s Pacific Classic on Aug. 25.

“I wanted to work him in the afternoon because he can get a bit antsy around other horses in the morning,” said Baffert. “All systems are go.”

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Rolly Polly, the 17-10 favorite, remained unbeaten in three starts on the Santa Anita turf course, but her ninth lifetime win did not come easily.

Seemingly beaten approaching the wire, the 4-year-old, Irish-bred filly surged to edge 5-1 shot I’m The Business and win the $114,100 Sen. Ken Maddy Handicap by a nose.

Patrick Valenzuela rode the winner, who completed about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12 4/5, for Frankel and owner Guy Wildenstein.

A nose winner of the Hillsborough Handicap last month at Bay Meadows, I’m The Business has now been no worse than third in her last 11 starts for trainer Roger Stein. Nanogram, a 16-1 shot, was up to finish third, a length in front of 4-1 second choice Adoration.

Bob Mieszerski

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A Ransom proved Saturday night why he is the top-rated quarter horse in America and he got paid handsomely in the process.

The six-year-old gelding by First Down Dash got all he could handle from nemesis Whosleavingwho, before taking the 53rd running of the $200,000 Los Alamitos Invitational Championship in a photo finish.

The victory in the 440-yard Grade I race paid $100,000 to owners John and Kathie Bobenrieths and pushed A Ransom’s career earnings over $1 million. Whosleavingwho, which has never beaten A Ransom, earned $35,000. Runahalf, a 45-1 long shot, finished third. The winning time was 21.41 seconds.

A Ransom came into the race as a heavy favorite with victories in three of the track’s Grade I events. He had lost only twice in his last 15 starts and became only the fifth horse to win the Invitational twice.

Paul McLeod