Vosburgh Stakes (Grade 1)

BELMONT PARK struggled to attract big fields for its blockbuster card. Just four showed up for the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes, the fourth race on the card.

Imperial Hint, the little big horse, made up for the lack of numbers with a nose decision over Firenze Fire in the six-furlong stakes race.

Owned by Raymond Mamone and trained by Luis Carvajal Jr., the six-year-old son of Imperialism made it two-for-two since returning from Dubai. A track record holder at Saratoga, Imperial Hint ran fast again, stopping the clock in 1m 08.35secs to garner his 14th career win. Regular pilot Javier Castellano guided the tour.

“It was unbelievable,” Castellano said. “You never know in this game, nothing is for sure. You have to ride your race, and this is a great horse. I loved the way he did it. He fought all the way to the end. He didn’t want to get beat. I give all credit to the horse and trainer, he did a great job. Now we have the Breeders’ Cup and I’m looking forward to it.”

Carvajal, a small-time trainer who has done the impossible with Imperial Hint, will go back to Monmouth and plan for the California excursion.

“You don’t have to do much now after this race,” Carvajal said. “This will be enough.”

STRUCTOR stamped his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup with a head decision in the Grade 3 Pilgrim for owners Jeff Drown and Don Rachel and trainer Chad Brown.

The son of Palace Malice won his debut at Saratoga and came right back to turn away Andesite and Our Country in the juvenile turf stakes.

Purchased for $850,000 at the OBS March two-year-old Sale, Structor overcame a wide trip to punch his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup.

Brown will be loaded in the juvenile turf stakes at the Breeders’ Cup, adding Selflessly to the list after a win in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park. Klaravich Stable’s daughter of More Than Ready held off favourite Crystalle in the $200,000 stakes.