NEW YORK (AP) Loki's Vengeance and Henry's Gal, a pair of odds-on favorites, won the $100,000 New York Stallion Stakes for 3-year-olds, the closing day features Sunday at Aqueduct.
The final card of the meet also featured a successful comeback by Vyjack in his first race since finishing sixth last summer in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.
Loki's Vengeance beat Empire Dreams by 1 1/4 lengths in the open division. The colt trained by Mike Hushion and ridden by Manuel Franco improved to 3 for 6, paying $2.90 to win. The time was 1:16.80 for 6 1/2 furlongs.
Henry's Gal was a four-length winner over Champagne Ruby in the filly division. She pushed her record to 4 for 5, paying $3 to win. Cornelio Velasquez rode for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. The time was 1:17.70.
Vyjack, also trained by Rodriguez, was sidelined after the Haskell by colic and stomach ailments. He returned in a $66,640 allowance, winning by three quarters of a length over Sensational Slam as the 1-2 favorite.
Vyjack was a Triple Crown contender last year after capturing the Jerome and Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. He lost four straight after that: the Wood Memorial, third; the Kentucky Derby, 18th; the Belmont Stakes, eighth, and the Haskell.
Rodriguez said the 4-year-old gelding's next target will be the $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 7.
New York racing shifts to Belmont on Thursday.
