Birdrun wins the Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont

NEW YORK (AP) — Birdrun beat 2010 Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer by 334 lengths Friday in the Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park.

The result gave Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott a 1-2 finish in the 123rd edition of the stakes. Mott also swept both stakes on the card as Courageous Cat won the $100,000 Poker Stakes on the turf.

The $150,000 Brooklyn is run at the same 112 mile distance as the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, and proved again that speed is an important asset even in a race this long.

Rajiv Maragh put Birdrun on the lead shortly after the start and the 5-year-old chestnut took it from there. Birdrun improved to 6 for 19, stopping the clock in 2:28.24.

Birdrun paid $7.80, $3.10 and $2.50. Drosselmeyer returned $2.70 and $2.10, and Alma d’Oro paid $3 to show.

In the Poker, Courageous Cat beat the pacesetting Yield Bogey by 214 lengths as the 4-5 favorite.