In a heart-stopping finish at the F.D. Wadia Trophy, Dallas Todywalla-trained Field of Dreams lived up to its name, turning fantasy into reality with a nail-biting victory. Having previously outclassed Thy Light, who went on to secure a subsequent win, Field of Dreams proved her mettle once again by fending off a late surge from Redefined and Dash to clinch the Grade 3, 1400-meter contest—a feature race for three-year-olds held at Pune on Saturday.

The race began at a blistering pace, with the frontrunners burning up the track. But as the dust settled, it was the horses lying in wait at the rear that emerged as the true contenders, battling fiercely for the coveted prize. Redefined, with a stunning late charge, threatened to snatch victory but left it just a tad too late, unable to overturn the race's outcome.

Dash, who had sprung smartly from the gates and positioned himself well in third, appeared poised for a strong finish. However, as the race neared its climax, the early leaders began to falter under the pressure, and the rear runners pounced with ferocious intent.

Turn And Burn set a blistering pace upfront, closely pursued by Baklava and Dash, with the rest of the field trailing behind. Field of Dreams was content to bide its time, languishing in second-last position, just ahead of Redefined, who struggled to find his stride early on and was settled at the rear by jockey Anthony Raj.

As the horses turned for home, Yash Narredu urged Dash to seize the moment, and for a fleeting instant, it seemed like the strongly backed runner would deliver. But those hopes were quickly dashed when jockey Akshay Kumar unleashed Field of Dreams with a thunderous run. The Todywalla trainee surged forward, overtaking Dash in the shadow of the post and then withstanding a ferocious late charge from Redefined to win by just under a length. In the end, Redefined edged out Dash for second place. Redefined's 189-day layoff may have cost him the race, but on this day, it was Field of Dreams that turned dreams into reality.

Another highlight of the day was the remarkable achievement of Pradeep Chouhan, who recently transitioned from his illustrious career as a jockey to training horses. Success found Chouhan swiftly, as he celebrated a win on just the second day of his training career. His charge, the well-backed Dream Seller, held off the speedy Soup And Sandwich and the determined Queen’s Pride to claim victory in the 1000-meter Waves of Glory Plate, a race for horses rated 40 to 66.

Jockey Ajinkya rode a tactically astute race, keeping Dream Seller in a handy second position behind the pace-setting Soup And Sandwich, with the well-fancied Queen’s Pride also in close contention. As the race entered its final furlong, Dream Seller engaged in a thrilling battle for supremacy with Soup And Sandwich, eventually gaining the upper hand. Queen’s Pride finished with an impressive burst of speed, securing an eye-catching third place and hinting at future success.

This victory is a testament to Pradeep Chouhan’s seamless transition from jockey to trainer. Chouhan retired from riding with a phenomenal record of 1,850 winners, 24 classic wins, and multiple individual championship titles across various racing centers, including being crowned the Champion Jockey of India on four occasions.

Three horses with promising racing form were in the spotlight for the finish of the Panelservice 247 Play and Win Trophy, a race dedicated to maiden three-year-olds. Among them, Trigger was well-backed in the betting ring, alongside Escodino and Creative Girl, though the latter two failed to make an impact when it mattered most.

Jockey Sandesh wasted no time, urging Trigger to the front right from the start. The pair took command of the race and never looked back, maintaining a comfortable lead all the way to the winning post. Touch of Gold and Gypsy Soul attempted to challenge but couldn’t muster enough to threaten the leader, ultimately settling for their positions. The other two fancied runners failed to live up to their betting hype, leaving punters disappointed.

Karthik Ganapathy's long shot, Aries, almost pulled off a stunning upset by setting a blistering pace and leading the field in the 1200-meter Animal Welfare Board of India Trophy (Div I), a race for horses rated 20 to 46. Aries’s aggressive front-running tactics nearly toppled the race favorite, Serrano, who seemed in danger of being caught off guard.

However, in the final furlong, Serrano found another gear. Jockey N. S. Parmar had to ride hard, urging Serrano to dig deep and close the gap in the race's dramatic closing moments. Serrano ultimately prevailed, but not without a fight. Supreme Spirit ran on to claim third, while Aries, despite the gallant effort, had to settle for second, leaving the crowd buzzing about the one that almost got away.

Antia-trained Flashing Famous had been showing promising consistency, hinting at an imminent breakthrough. Bettors took note, and the money poured in for the lower division of the Animal Welfare Board Trophy.

As the race unfolded, Khaleesi took the early lead, with Flashing Famous in close pursuit. As the field turned for home, jockey Kaviraj made his move, urging Flashing Famous to the front. The well-backed runner responded with authority, seizing control and cruising comfortably to the finish line. Etoille made a late surge to secure second place, followed by another late closer, Dufy, who claimed third.

Karthik Ganapathy celebrated a victory as Kariena delivered a confident performance in the 1400-meter Trufeit And Hills Trophy, a race for horses rated 20 to 46. With jockey Sandesh in the saddle, Kariena tracked the pace set by Aperol, showing no signs of strain and clearly outclassing her rivals.

Aperol led the field into the home stretch, but Kariena swiftly took over, asserting her dominance and turning the race into a one-horse affair. From that point on, it was clear she was in a league of her own. Aperol held on to secure second place in a tight finish, just ahead of Kings Love, but the race belonged entirely to Kariena.

M.K. Jadhav celebrated a well-deserved victory with Nobility, who lived up to expectations in the 1400-meter Golden Edition Plate, a race for horses rated 1 to 26.

Zacapa set a brisk pace, enjoying a comfortable lead as Nobility kept a close watch. However, as the race approached the home stretch, Nobility surged forward with ease, overtaking Zacapa and cruising to a straightforward win.

The well-backed Goldiva, despite losing ground at the start, made a commendable late charge to secure second place. Zacapa, after leading for most of the race, had to settle for third.