Maragh lands Million Day feature at Calder

MIAMI, Florida (CMC):

Rajiv Maragh landed the US $150,000 feature Carl G. Rose Classic Handicap with Birdrun, to upstage Jermaine Bridgmohan on Saturday's 12-race, Florida Million Day card at Calder race course.

The Jamaican jockey steered the 6-5 second favourite to a comfortable 4 1/2-length victory to upset 4-5 favourite, Duke of Mischief, under Eibar Coa, to collect his 12th stakes win in the United States for the year.

Birdrun, a four-year-old chestnut colt, completed 1,800 metres on the dirt in one minute, 54.47 seconds.

It was the second slowest time in the nine-year history of the Carl G. Rose Classic, which was one of eight stakes races on the programme.

Maragh's compatriot, Bridgmohan, also landed a big-money event, when he won the US$125,000 Bonnie Heath Turf Cup Handicap with the 3-1 chance Pickapocket.

Main event

In the main event, Maragh stalked the pace aboard Birdrun two deep and advanced to take a slim lead just inside the three-eights pole.

They lost ground leaving the five-16th pole and made light contact with Duke of Mischief entering the stretch.

Once they made the final turn, the race was over as a genuine contest, as Maragh urged his mount on and he responded to draw clear and leave the favourite in his slipstream for Birdrun's first career stakes victory.

The win was the fifth in 15 career starts for Birdrun, a son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone and his trainer Bill Mott looks set to keep him in Florida for the remainder of the American winter racing season.