The entire field had a shot to win the 103rd running of the $400,000 Manhattan Handicap (Gr. 1) at the top of the stretch, but Meteor Storm was the one who wanted it more. The California invader closed down the outside to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Millennium Dragon. King's Drama, under Jorge Chavez, went to the lead out of the gate in the nine-horse field of older horses set fractions of :23 4/5, :48 2/5 and 1:12 1/5. Favorite Stroll tried to take the lead at the top of the stretch, but faded. King's Drama spurted forward with a second wind. Millennium Dragon moved forward with a challenge and pulled ahead. Then Meteor Storm flew past them all on the outside. He won by 1 1/4 lengths. Millennium Dragon was second under Richard Migliore. Mr. O'Brien and Ramon Dominguez closed for third.
Stan Fulton's Fire Slam had made a nice living racing in Kentucky and Louisiana, but Saturday afternoon, he made it in the big time. The Grand Slam colt, guided by Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day, came up the rail in the 20th running of the Grade 2 Riva Ridge Breeders' Cup and held off Teton Forest for a head victory in the seven-furlong sprint for three-year-olds. Trained by David Carroll, Fiore Slam had won a Grade 3 race, but was foiled in his previous attempts at winning a Grade 2. That changed, however, after Teton Forest and Smokume dueled through fractions of :22 2/5; :45; and 1:08 4/5. Teton Forest took the lead as Smokume fizzled and fresh challenges came from Value Plus and Abbondanza from the outside. Fire Slam, however, had enjoyed a ground saving trip under Day and when the rail opened, he was more than willing to accept the gift and the victory in 1:20 4/5, which was just three-fifths off Left Bank's 2002 track record.
Juddmonte Farm's Intercontinental remained undefeated in America and won her third consecutive race Saturday afternoon, but it didn't come easy. Checked, steadied and begging for room most of the way, she got the break she needed when front-runner Riskaverse moved out in the stretch and Hall of fame jockey Jerry Bailey sent her to daylight and 1 ¼-length victory over Vanguardia in the 11th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Just A Game Breeders' Cup Handicap for fillies and mares at a mile on the Widener Turf Course. He time was 1:33 1/5 and the rail was set at zero as Intercontinental recorded her seventh victory in 12 career starts, this one worth $3.40 to the $2 win player, who really had to sweat it out until Intercontinental found running room.
Jockey John Velazquez, refusing to accept a bid for a duel with Cat Genius, backed favored Speightstown off a hot early pace, settled him down, then came again to win the 26th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 True North Breeders' Cup Handicap for three-year-olds and up at six furlongs. In winning for the third straight time and fourth in his last five starts, the 6-year-old Gone West horse broke quickly from the gate, only to be joined by Cat Genius. The first quarter mile fell in :21 2/5, and Velazquez let Cat Genius alone. It was as smart move, as the half went in an impossible :43 3/5. Having cooked the pacesetter, Speightstown then rallied again and held to post a 1 ½-length victory in 1:08. Remarkably, Cat Genius lasted for second.
Wasting no time in declaring her dominance, Bear Fan quickly wrested the lead from Zawzooth then blazed her way home Saturday for a nine-length victory in the 54th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap for fillies and mares at six and a half furlongs. It was the fourth straight win for the five-year-old Pine Bluff mare, and this was her most impressive as she set a track record going in 1:14 2/5, matching Confide's 1997 record, which he achieved carrying 113 pounds. Bear Fan carried 121 pounds, mostly in the person of jockey John Velazquez. This came after uncontested splits of :21 4/5; :44 2/5 and 1:08.
Kicking off the stakes action on Saturday was the $70,000 White Carnation Stakes for older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. 14-1 shot Board Elligible stubled at the start but recovered well to rally on the turn to draw clear by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:42.08 over 6-1 shot Princess Dixie. 2-1 favorite Saintly Action was third.
