Celestine isn’t going to be sitting back and lamenting about 1/100ths of a second, even if that was the difference between her victory time and the race record for the Longines Just A Game undercard race Saturday at the 2016 Belmont Stakes.
Belmont Stakes 2016: Celestine pulls away for victory in Just A Game undercard race
Celestine missed setting the race record by just 1/100ths of a second as she ran to victory in the Just A Game undercard race.
Mike Stobe/Getty Images
The 4-year-old filly, which is owned by James A. Bryan Jr. and trained by William I. Mott, came from the middle of the pack and pulled away to win convincingly 1:31.64 over the one-mile turf track -- just a split second off the record. She came into the race with 7-1 odds.
Taking second was race-favorite Recepta, who had 7-2 odds coming in, while Mrs. Mcdougal finished third and Lady Lara fourth.
Celestine is no stranger to winning, having won four of her last nine races. The Just A Game undercard was her first Grade 1 race, however. Celestine is the offspring of Scat Daddy and Mona Mia.
The Grade 1 race, worth a $700,000 purse, featured 13 fillies and mares age 4 years and older.
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