Photo:

NYRA / Coglianese Photo

Runninsonofagun crossed the wire second but was elevated to first after a stewards’ inquiry that ruled My Buddy B caused interference in the stretch run of Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Bold Ruler, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet.

In the stretch, My Buddy B maintained the lead as Runninsonofagun, under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, challenged from the outside. My Buddy B, ridden by Luis Rivera Jr., deviated from a straight path as the two linked up in the final furlong and bumped his rival inside the final sixteenth.

My Buddy B completed the course in a 1:09.42 final time a nose to the better of Runninsonofagun. After the inquiry My Buddy B was disqualified and placed second. That decision made Runninsonofagun, who is owned by Karen Zimmerman, a winner for the first time in his last nine starts dating to the 2022 Bold Ruler.

Out of the break Little Vic led the seven-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 22.60 seconds on the fast main track. My Buddy B took command with the half-mile going in 45.73 and five-eighths in 57.40 seconds.

Turning for home My Buddy B had daylight to the finish line from the middle of the track. But Rosario, who already had registered two wins on the card, used an aggressive hand ride as Runninsonofagun gained ground from the far outside.

After the stretch duel the stewards subsequently ruled that, “in the stretch run, My Buddy B was directed out to make contact with Runninsonofagun, who was knocked off stride but managed to rally back and only miss by a slight margin resulting in the disqualification.”

Twenty Four Mamba finished third followed by Little Vic. Top Gunner, Surveillance and even-money favorite Scotland completed the order of finish.

Rosario said he was impressed with his charge’s last kick.

“He did everything good. It looked like I was passing that horse and he came over a little bit in the last part,” Rosario said. “My horse kind of lost a little balance there and just got beat by a head. That is sometimes how it is. We were coming by. That little touch, he kind of lost a little balance, a little bit, but we got beat by a nose.”

Off at 16-1, Runninsonofagun returned $34.00 for a $2 win wager. The 5-year-old son of Hall of Famer Gun Runner improved to 20: 5-3-6. He also increased his career earnings to $567,865.

Trainer John Toscano Jr., who conditioned his first winner in 1979, won his third career graded-stakes race with Runninsonofagun accounting for two of them in this particular race.

“He was surging past him (My Buddy B), and that other horse came out and bumped him and knocked him off stride, but he didn’t give up, because after the wire, he was by him again,” Toscano said.

The trainer said Runninsonofagun is rounding his way into form after significant time off from April 2023 to May 2024. Toscano also said the listed Fall Highweight on Nov. 29 at Aqueduct is in play.

“He was injured, and I had to lay him up. It took him a while to get back into gear,” he said. “His first couple of starts he was a little flat, but he progressed and got better and better. Hopefully, he’s now back where he was.

“We’ll keep him here for the winter. There’s a lot of winter stakes, and we can pick our spots. We lost by a neck in the Fall Highweight two years ago.”

My Buddy B, owned and trained by Krista Hetrick, finished in the money for the fifth time in the last seven starts.

“I just tried. I felt the horse on the outside, and I was trying to get another reaction from my horse,” Rivera said.