National Jockey Club

Saturday's $250,000

National Jockey Club H. (G3) at Hawthorne was reduced to a

four-horse race and then a two-horse speed duel as Edgewood Farms' POLLARD'S

VISION (Carson City) eventually wore down post-time favorite Badge of Silver

(Silver Deputy) in the stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Ridden to victory by

John Velazquez, the four-year-old stopped the clock in 1:49 for nine furlongs on

the good track.

Second out of the gate, the Todd Pletcher trainee stalked behind a contested

pace duel between Badge of Silver and Lord of the Game (Saint Ballado), with the

former setting rapid fractions of :23 2/5, :46 1/5 and 1:10 2/5 for

three-quarters of a mile. Lord of the Game began to drop off as Velazquez angled

his mount out three wide for the turn for home and after a mile in 1:36, it was

all Pollard's Vision and Badge of Silver. With little room between Pollard's Vision on his outside and

the rail on his inside, jockey Jerry Bailey was out of horse and the 1-2

favorite had to settle for second as they crossed the line. Lord of the Game was

another six lengths back in third, 1 1/4 lengths clear of Freefourinternet

(Tabasco Cat). Seek Gold (Touch Gold) was withdrawn.

The winner returned $6.40 and $2.10 on top of the $12 exacta with Badge of

Silver, who was worth $2.10 for the place. The trifecta with Lord of the

Game paid $15.40, while the 2-3-4-5 superfecta returned $16.80. Show wagering was not available.

Pollard's Vision was bred in the Bluegrass State by Charles A. Smith and purchased

for $70,000 as a Keeneland April two-year-old. The four-year-old improved

his mark to 20-6-6-3 with lifetime earnings of $1,275,311 and also owns wins in

the Illinois Derby (G2), Leonard Richards S. (G3) and Lone Star Derby (G3).

The second foal out of the Dixieland Band mare Etats Unis, he has as unraced

two-year-old half-brother named Silent Warrior (Quiet American), a yearling

half-sister by Deputy Commander and an unnamed 2005 half-brother by Victory

Gallop.