2 May. USA. Alysheba S. G3. Churchill Downs. 8,5f. Dirt. 150.000 $
1.- GIANT GIZMO (R.Bejarano)
2.- BETTER THAN BONDS (E.Prado)
3.- WANDERIN BOY (C.Nakatani)


California shipper Giant Gizmo gained command with a six-wide rally into the stretch and earned his first stakes victory with a 3 3/4-length score in the $166,050 Alysheba Stakes (G3) on Friday at Churchill Downs.

The race was marred by the breakdown of Grade 3 winner Chelokee, who suffered a right front condylar fracture in early stretch. Chelokee was stabilized with a splint and transported to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington.

Jockey Ramon Dominguez, Chelokee's rider, was unseated but sunsequently was cleared to return to riding after being examined in the Churchill first-aid station.

Giant Gizmo raced in fifth through a half-mile in :47.41, more than 3 1/2 lengths off the pace. Rallying on the outside of foes on the turn, Giant Gizmo opened a half-length lead in early stretch and gave trainer Bobby Frankel, owner-breeder Frank Stronach, and jockey Rafael Bejarano their second stakes win on the card.

Bejarano also won the $268,200 Louisville Stakes (G2) with Ginger Punch, the 2007 champion older female trained by Frankel who also is a Stronach homebred.

Bejarano was impressed with Giant Gizmo's effort in the 1 1/16-mile Alysheba.

"He broke a little slow, so I just took him inside and tried to get him relaxed," Bejarano said. "He didn't like getting mud in the face, so around the three-eighths [pole] I put him on the outside and he made a little move on the turn. He started running really good."

Better Than Bonds set the early pace while positioned away from the inside and led 2007 Alysheba winner Wanderin Boy by a head through six furlongs in 1:11.97. Giant Gizmo seized command approaching the stretch on the outside of both Better Than Bonds and Wanderin Boy and won in 1:43.96 on a sealed sloppy main track to earn his first stakes win.

Better Than Bonds finished second, a neck in front of 1.90-to-1 favorite Wanderin Boy.

Giant Gizmo made his three previous starts at Santa Anita Park and entered off a win in an allowance/optional claiming race on February 25. The Giant's Causeway colt was unplaced in the Strub Stakes (G2) in his stakes debut on February 2 at the Arcadia, California, track.

Earning his fifth win in ten starts, Giant Gizmo increased his earnings to $268,685. Bred in Kentucky, Giant Gizmo is out of Golden Antigua, by Hansel.