Saturday’s $150,000 Bulleit Bourbon Palm Beach Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park went to the post with a wide-open field of 11 3-year-olds to go 1 1/8 miles on turf and trainer Christophe Clement sent out Jon and Sarah Kelly’s Sporting Art and Peachtree Stable’s Flying Dismount for a one-two finish.

Jockey Javier Castellano was posting his third victory on the card atop Sporting Art, who went off the lukewarm favorite and paid $8.20, with Flying Dismount a neck back in second and North Shore Racing’s Moral Compass another three-quarters behind the runner-up in third. The winner was timed in 1:45:98 over the ‘firm’ course.

Sporting Art is a Kentucky-bred son of Doneraile Court who was making his second start in the U.S. after winning two of four in England last year. In his one previous try over the course in an allowance on Feb. 20, he finished second by a nose with a big stretch charge.

Winning Jockey Quotes

Javier Castellano (Sporting Art):

“I rode him in his first start here in this country.  Today he broke very sharp.  He was supposed to come from behind, but he was a little closer to the pace.  Christophe (Clement) told me not to hesitate on him and to ride him with confidence.  He said he if he was close not to worry.  I knew he had the race won because at the three-eighths pole I had a lot of horse.  When I asked him, he took off.”

Winning Trainer Quote

Christophe Clement:

“He’s a nice horse and he’s trained like a nice horse. I will try him on the Polytrack next time, maybe in the (Coolmore) Lexington (at Keeneland on Apr. 19). It’s a very good spot. He came to the States in early December. The other horse (Flying Dismount) ran good, too. He’s been my project over the winter. It’s great, but I wish it could have been a dead-heat. The final time is remarkable. These are 3-year-olds.”

Fractions:   

22:82, 45:91, 1:09:45, 1:33:99 & 1:45:98