A sizzling pace over Keeneland’s rain-deprived turf set things up nicely for the Cherie DeVaux three-year-olds Brilliant Berti and Depiction, who finished one-two in the $591,625 Bryan Station (G3) at Keeneland on Saturday.
The final grass race and penultimate event of Keeneland’s fall meet, the Bryan Station was decided by a neck in favor of Brilliant Berti, the 3-1 second choice who got the early jump on his 44-1 stablemate. The pair were the back markers for most of the race as Demolisher scorched through early fractions of :22.49, :44.95, and 1:09 over the firm ground.
Making a seven-wide bid under Brian Hernandez Jr. turning for home, Brilliant Berti ate into his deficit through the lane, opened up a lead inside the final sixteenth, and just held off a late surge by Depiction. Herchee finished a length behind in third, while 2.70-1 favorite Trikari finished sixth in the field of 11 three-year-olds.
Owned and bred in Kentucky by Klein Racing, Brilliant Berti finished up one mile in 1:34.40 and paid $8.18.
A son of Noble Mission, Brilliant Berti is now 5-for-7. Fifth in his debut at Fair Grounds in February, Brilliant Berti rebounded to defeat maiden and allowance foes in his next two starts at Churchill Downs, and then captured his stakes debut in the American Derby in June.
Brilliant Berti was the odds-on choice in the Secretariat (G2) at Colonial Downs, but finished 2 1/2 lengths second to Trikari. He resumed winning ways last month, taking the Gun Runner S. at Kentucky Downs.
Brilliant Berti was reared by multiple stakes winner Believe in Bertie, a daughter of Langfuhr.
Earlier in the card, Hit Show captured his third graded stakes win in succession when defeating longshot pacesetter Bolzy by three parts of a length in the $350,000 Fayette (G2).
Ridden by Florent Geroux, the odds-on choice added the nine-furlong Fayette to recent scores in the West Virginia Governor’s at Mountaineer (G3) and Lukas Classic (G2) at Churchill Downs. The gray son of Candy Ride would seem a candidate for the Clark (G2) back at Churchill on Nov. 29.
Owned by Wathan Racing and trained by Brad Cox, Hit Show won in a time of 1:50.33 over a fast track and paid $3.58.
In the first stakes of the day, the $197,500 Bowman Mill S. for two-year-olds, the filly Long Neck Paula beat four male rivals to the wire. Her winning margin was a half-length over Tough Catch. Macho Music, the favorite, finished fourth in the field of five.
Long Neck Paula paid $7.50 after finishing up in 1:10.92. She is owned by Will Stroud and Debra O’Connor, and is trained by Wesley Ward.
A daughter of Uncle Mo, Long Neck Paula has now won three of four starts. She preceded her victory Saturday with a 7 1/2-length tally in the Prairie Meadows Debutante, a rebound effort from her after finishing third in the Schuylerville (G3).
