JOHN Velazquez had been the star man over the two classics in Churchill Downs two weeks ago and last Saturday he again produced a masterful ride to snatch another well-known Grade 1 stakes race.

He again set the pace, sending Calumet Farm’s six-year-old Channel Cat to the lead at the start of the Man O’ War Stakes at Belmont and through what was a fast first quarter-mile in 22.69secs for an 11-furlong US turf race.

The race saw the US debut of Sovereign, winner of the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby who was the second betting choice for Chad Brown, but he broke slowly, stayed at the back and, despite a brief more forward before the final turn, he never entered contention, finishing seventh in the field of eight.

Up front, after the blistering opening fraction, Channel Cat cruised along on a clear lead through a half mile fractions of 47.53secs to 1m 37.49secs for the mile on good turf.

He still led into the final furlong though Moon Over Miami threw down a challenge and last year’s Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes winner Gufo hit top gear on the outside.

Velazquez got the son of English Channel to hold on by a nose.

“I didn’t think we went that fast. I knew we were going fast, but not quite 22 and change. I gave him loose reins and he was a happy horse up front. I felt Gufo coming when I was asking him to run,” Velazquez said.

Winning trainer Jack Sisterson had been nervous of the occasion. “I didn’t sleep last night. I wasn’t nervous about Channel Cat, I was nervous about letting John Velazquez down. I didn’t want to ruin last weekend’s celebration, so thanks to Channel Cat for stepping up and doing all the hard work,” he said.

The victory came after a strong second in the mile and a half Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland, giving the trainer the feeling Channel Cat was coming into form.

The gelding has two Grade 1 targets in the June 5th Manhattan Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard or the July 17th United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park.

“I don’t take any credit for this. It’s all due to the people behind the scenes that people don’t see,” Sisterson added.

The win in pushed his earnings past the million mark to $1,373,522.

Gufo produced a fine effort on his first start in more than five months since the Hollywood Derby and also gave 6lb to Channel Cat.

“I’ve got to talk about plastic surgery for this horse. Gufo needs a bigger nose,” his owner and co-breeder Stephen Cainelli joked.

The colt was third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby by a head and a neck and lost the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes by a head.

Ger Lyons’ graduate

Also on the card, the grey filly Harvey’s Lil Goil started her four-year-old campaign off a six-month break from a third in the Breeders’ Cup behind Audarya and Rushing Fall, and held on to win in the Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes from the former Ger Lyons-trained Group 2 winner Lemista by half a length.

After finishing third to Swiss Skydiver in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes last year, the daughter of American Pharoah went on to win the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland in October, prior to her Breeders’ Cup third.

“The pace was too slow. She’s a nice filly. I think she’ll move forward off of this,” said jockey Irad Ortiz Jr of Lemista who races for Peter Brant.