By The Sports Network
08/05/2013
Cross Traffic, a 4-year-old colt owned by GoldMark Farm, won for the third time in just five career starts as he notched his first stakes
victory after seconds in the Westchester Handicap and Met Mile.
“This was a real quality-filled race,” said Pletcher. “To beat the Breeders’ Cup winner (Fort Larned) and runner-up (Mucho Macho Man) from last year and some really good horses speaks volumes about his quality. It was great to see him (win). He certainly deserved a Grade 1 after the Met Mile. I know we’ve had a couple of tough beats over the years, but that one kind of stands out as one of the toughest.”
His three-quarters of a length win shot him behind only Horse of the Year Wise Dan and Game On Dude in the poll. The lightly raced colt, unraced before January, received 260 points. Cross Traffic will start next in the Woodward at Saratoga on Aug. 31.
Wise Dan, a half-brother to Successful Dan, garnered 33 first-place votes and 453 points. The 6-year-old gelding, trained by Charles
LoPresti, will start in Saturday’s Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga.
Game On Dude, to be ridden by Joel Rosario in the Pacific Classic on Aug. 25, is just 27 points behind Wise Dan in the voting with 13 top
votes and 426 points.
Delaware Handicap winner Royal Delta moved past the injured Point of Entry into fourth-place with 229 points. Trained by Bill Mott, the
two-time winner of the Ladies’ Classic will start next on Aug. 25 at Saratoga in the Personal Ensign.
Point of Entry slipped to fifth with 225 points followed by Verrazano (1, 160), Sahara Sky (157), Palace Malice (127), Fort Larned (98) and
Obviously (94).
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