Shackleford takes Met Mile by a nose
Monday, May 28, 2012
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shackleford held off a furious rush to the finish by Caleb's Posse and won the $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap by a nose on a steamy Monday at Belmont Park.
The stretch run was a thriller.
Shackleford led from the start, and when the field turned for home Caleb's Posse came charging down the stretch. But the Preakness winner dug in for the win, with hard-luck Caleb's Possse losing a photo finish for the third straight race.
Trained by Dale Romans, Shackleford covered the mile in 1:33.30, and returned $8.80 for a $2 win bet as the 3-1 second choice in perhaps the strongest field of older horses this year.
