Raging Bull Completes Remarkable Double for Dark Angel in HOF

[Wandering Eyes]

Sent off the 5-2 favorite, Raging Bull (Fr) (c, 3, Dark Angel {Ire}-Rosa Bonheur, by Mr. Greeley) left it for very late, but managed to claw back the soft-ground loving Maraud (Blame) in the final jump to take Friday’s featured GII Hall of Fame S. at Saratoga. Raging Bull was allowed to get his feet under him and settled in the latter third of the field early on, as Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) pulled his way into a long lead on the backstretch despite the pleadings of jockey John Velazquez. The latter, returning from a good sixth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 22, still led over the easy going as heads were turned for home, but Maraud, winner of the GII American Turf in similarly soft conditions in May, came with a rails run and had first crack at Gidu. Ride A Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}) rallied up outside of Maraud, but Raging Bull found his best stride down the center of the track and was shoved across the line first by Joel Rosario. The win was the fourth consecutive in the race for trainer Chad Brown and a second straight for Joel Rosario, who rode Bricks and Mortar (Giant’s Causeway) to the win last year. The victory completed an international stakes double for Dark Angel, whose son Battaash (Ire) was the impressive winner of the G2 King George S. at Goodwood earlier in the day. Raging Bull is the 29th graded/group winner for his sire. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0. O-Peter M Brant; B-Dayton Investments Ltd; T-Chad Brown.

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