M.K. Jadhav-trained Miss American Pie, long seen as an underachiever, finally made her mark in style by claiming the Gr 3 1200 metres Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy, a terms race for four-year-olds, the feature event of Saturday`s Pune races. Benefiting from a significant pull in weights, Miss American Pie toppled the formidable Time And Tide, winner of the prestigious Sprinters Cup, who was burdened with a hefty seven-and-a-half kilogram penalty under the terms of the race.

Time And Tide, carrying the weight of both his Group I success and the literal extra weight, found himself handicapped against the well-bred yet unheralded Miss American Pie, who had been campaigned in handicap company. Despite her pedigree as a daughter of Gleneagles, Miss American Pie had yet to live up to expectations—until now. In her current form, it`s clear she has the potential to perform at a high level, even on less favorable terms.

However, punters, ever loyal to reputation and odds, were once again left disappointed. Time And Tide was the overwhelming favourite, despite the glaring weight disadvantage, while Miss American Pie, coming off an impressive win and carrying bottom weight, was generously priced in the betting markets. It`s a stark reminder that while odds can be a useful guide, over-reliance on them often leads to heartbreak. Another notable competitor, Market King, was making his return to the track after a second-place finish behind Time And Tide in April, but with the added twist of having changed stables following the unfortunate passing of his original trainer, Shiraz Sunderji.

From the moment the gates opened, Miss American Pie displayed impeccable behaviour, breaking smartly under regular jockey N S Parmar and immediately taking control of the race. Time And Tide gave chase, with Market King and Son Of A Gun, who seemed out of form, trailing behind. In the homestretch, Miss American Pie maintained her lead effortlessly. Despite an all-out push from jockey Sandesh aboard Time And Tide, the favourite failed to make any significant inroads and even lost second place to a determined Market King, whom he had previously defeated handily under different conditions in April.

For Time And Tide, this was a second misstep, and it may take some time for him to regain his winning touch. All eyes will be on him as he possibly lines up for the high-stakes sprint race during the Derby weekend, where redemption will be on the line. As for Miss American Pie, this victory may be the beginning of a much-anticipated rise.

Trainer Imtiaz Sait`s Christophany is proving to be a force to reckon with, continuing her winning streak despite carrying a penalty, which only highlighted her growing dominance. Having previously beaten her rivals narrowly, many expected Art Collector, trained by Aman Altaf Hussain, to turn the tables this time around. The betting market reflected this sentiment, sending Art Collector out as the favourite. However, it was Christophany who stole the show, displaying remarkable improvement to decisively win the 1400 metres S K Sunderji Memorial Trophy, a race for horses rated 40 to 65.

Initially settled in fourth or fifth place, Christophany watched the early leader, Aperol, bring the field into view. But Aperol faltered as the pressure mounted, failing to sustain the lead. Jockey Neeraj Rawal, riding Christophany, timed his move perfectly, bringing her wide into the straight. In just a few strides, Christophany surged past the field, effortlessly storming to an impressive victory, leaving her opponents chasing shadows.

Metzinger took second place, but the favourite, Art Collector, looked a beaten horse in the final stretch. Despite being well-positioned early on, he failed to find an extra gear when it mattered most. Kariena came from far back, finishing with purpose and nearly snatching second place but warmed up a little too late to make a real impact, settling for a commendable third.

In the end, Christophany`s win was as authoritative as it was exciting, finishing four lengths clear and looking every bit the horse to watch for future races. Her continued improvement suggests she`s primed for another big performance during the coming season.

Trainer Imtiaz Sait`s Big Red came agonizingly close to victory but ultimately fell short by half a length, as Exuma took the honours in the 2400 metres Star Future Plate, a race for horses rated 60 to 86. With only three horses in the fray, it was widely expected to be a duel between Big Red and Exuma, and the race certainly lived up to the billing.

As the field set off for the mile-and-a-half journey, Big Red, true to his habit, was slow out of the gates, trailing by several lengths behind Flaming Lamborghini, who set the pace with Exuma in tow. Big Red settled at the back, four lengths adrift in third. As they approached the final turn, jockey Parmar made his move on Exuma, urging him forward to take the lead. Jockey Saqlain aboard Big Red responded swiftly, and for a moment, it seemed like he would reel in the front-runner. However, Exuma dug deep and managed to fend off the challenge, pulling away in the final strides to secure a narrow but decisive victory. Flaming Lamborghini finished a distant third, well behind the two battling it out in front.

Trainer Adhirajsingh Jodha`s Timeless Vision showcased marked improvement with a commanding performance in the 1200 metres Dinkoo N Chinoy Trophy, a race for maiden three-year-olds. Despite Marcus, trained by Pesi Shroff, going off as the favourite, Timeless Vision proved too strong for the field. It was notable that Shroff`s stable had been underperforming this season, which perhaps foreshadowed Marcus`s struggle.

Positioned in a handy second spot as they turned for home, jockey Sandesh gave Timeless Vision the signal, and the horse responded instantly, bursting forward to seize control of the race. With a powerful run down the straight, Timeless Vision bolted clear, crossing the line with plenty to spare for a facile victory. Silver Strike finished strongly but couldn`t threaten the winner, managing only to nose out Marcus for second place.

Trainer Adhirajsingh Jodha`s Mysterious Stranger produced a late charge from the back of the field to clinch a narrow victory in the 1600 metres September Handicap, a race for horses rated 20 to 45. Initially biding his time, Mysterious Stranger weaved through the pack in the homestretch, finding gaps at just the right moments before finishing with a powerful burst to snatch the win in an exciting finale.

Come September had done all the heavy lifting up front, setting a solid pace, but as the race neared its climax, a swarm of challengers closed in, creating a thrilling scramble for the line. In the end, it was Mysterious Stranger who prevailed, pulling off a determined victory.

Arkadian, who endured a slightly troubled trip in the stretch, found his best stride on the wide outside and came with a late surge but fell short by a long neck. Regina Memorabilis, responsible for Arkadian`s momentary discomfort, ran a strong race herself to take third, just ahead of the early leader Come September, who faded in the final moments.

Trainer Karthik Ganapathy`s Aries, who had hinted at a return to form with a second-place finish behind Serrano in his previous outing, finally ended his long losing streak to win the Jaidev Trophy (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 45. It had been over 1000 days since the six-year-old last tasted victory, but under the guidance of jockey Bhawani Singh, Aries led from start to finish, holding off a late surge by Pure to claim a comfortable win at generous odds. Majestic Warrior took third, finishing ahead of Enlightened, who had been prominent early on but faded in the closing stages. Favourite Superimpose was nowhere to be seen, leaving punters scratching their heads.

In the lower division of the Jaidev Trophy, trainer Narendra Lagad had two strong contenders, House of Lords and Northern Singer, both of whom were well-fancied. Apprentice jockey Saba took House of Lords straight to the front, setting a solid pace and maintaining an uncontested lead throughout. The stablemate Northern Singer mounted a late challenge but could only secure second place, while Majo showed a flash of speed once the race was beyond reach, finishing third.

Trainer Narendra Lagad rounded off the day with another winner in the 1600 metres Ishpingo Plate, a race for horses rated 0 to 26. Jockey Mustakim Alam aboard Zacapa tracked the front-runner Spirited Bay into the straight before making his move. Zacapa seized the lead in the final furlong and then had to fend off a fast-finishing challenge from The Flutist and Midas Touch to scrape home by a narrow margin, securing a hard-fought victory.