Far Bridge dominates Bowling Green

After tracking the pace in second, Far Bridge launched a powerful bid to take a clear lead on the final turn of Saturday’s $186,000 Bowling Green (G2), and the odds-on favorite dominated the rest of the way over the yielding turf at Saratoga, scoring by a resounding three-length margin. 

Miguel Clement trains the five-year-old horse for LSU Stables, and Far Bridge registered his sixth graded stakes win. Eight were entered in the main body of the 1 3/8-mile affair over the inner turf, but only four went postward in the scratch-depleted field. Regular rider Joel Rosario was up, and Far Bridge stopped the teletimer in 2:15.38.

"Strategy went out the window (after all the scratches),” Clement said. “Joel knows the horse very well. He's won five of his last seven starts - just keep it simple. I told him, ‘you know him inside out. You're the best, Joel; he's the best. You two will figure it out.'”

Far Bridge registered his first Grade 1 victory in the 2023 Belmont Derby (G1), and his next stakes win came in last year’s Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga. He followed with a triumph in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Aqueduct, completing last season with a ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Del Mar.

After back-to-back wins in the Pan American (G3) and Man ‘o War (G2) to open 2025, Far Bridge missed by a neck in third in the Manhattan (G1) on the June 8 Belmont (G1) undercard at Saratoga. He rebounded stylishly in the Man ‘o War.

“I decided to go on the backside a little bit,” Rosario said. “It just looked like I had a lot of horse at that point, and he was moving really well. I just kept following the horse (Tucson) on the lead for a little bit, but like I said, for a second I thought I needed to come out and just give him a little. I know it was a little early, but he kind of just had too much horse at that point, so I kind of just have to let him find his stride, the stride that he has."

Rosario was asked about the yielding ground.

“I never worried about it. He won on soft turf before, and he is a good horse. He runs on everything, he runs on soft turf, hard, everything, so I was never worried about it. I knew I had the best horse in the race.”

Far Bridge has earned more than $2.35 million from an 18-9-3-3 record.

El Rezeen rallied from last in the short field to be a clear second, more than three lengths clear of Harrow. It was another neck to Tuscon, who established early splits in :24.44, :48.66, and 1:14.83 before giving way.

The first stakes winner out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Fitpitcher, Far Bridge, was bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm.

Randy Sarf of LSU Stables confirmed a title defense in the Aug. 9 Sword Dancer will be next for Far Bridge.

“I’m blessed to have a horse like that and to be part of this game and have something like this,” Sarf said. “The Clement family is a big part of Far Bridge – my parents, my kids, and everything. This was nice. It’s nice to win in Saratoga and (we’re) looking forward to the Sword Dancer.”