The $200,000 Jaipur Stakes (G3) at 6 furlongs on the Inner Turf Course at Belmont Park is last graded stakes of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet. Formidable was sent as the 6-5 choice in the field of 7 off two straight 4th place finishes in the Turf Sprint (G3) at Churchill Downs and the True North Handicap (G2) at Belmont. In to challenge him included 5-2 second choice Stradivinsky, winner of three straight claiming races and stepping up to stakes company after being claimed last out, and 5-1 third choice Perfect Officer, fourth in the Wolf Hill at Monmouth and winless since the Solomon Northrup at Saratoga last August.
Formidable stumbled badly at the start, unseating jockey Jose Lezcano, and then continued to run riderless with the rest of the field. Stradivinsky was sent to the front by jockey C.C. Lopez and he was loose on the lead through fast fractions of 22.49 and 44.41, opening up a 6 length lead at the 1/8 pole. Entering the stretch, Yield Bogey, as many as 11 1/2 lengths off the pace down the backstretch, came out four wide for run and closed well, but was left with too much ground to make up and had to avoid the riderless Formidable in midstretch as Stradivinsky cruised under the line 1 1/4 lengths in front in 1:07.74 over the firm course. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to 15-1 Dubai Rainbow third. There was a stewards' inquiry focusing on the start of the race but the result was allowed to stand.
