Belmont Derby (Grade 1)
IT was the Europeans who ruled the day and celebrated on July 4th at Saratoga. One of the winners was even a daughter of Starspangledbanner.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Title Role held off US runner West End Kid by a diminishing nose to capture the $750,000 Grade 1 Belmont Derby for three-year-olds.
The colt had already proved a tough warrior when winning both the 2000 Guineas in Dubai and in Germany.
He was sent off third favourite as local money came for the Cherie de Vaux-trained Remember Mamba, ahead of the Charlie Appleby-trained Irish 2000 Guineas third Pacific Avenue.
Jockey John Velazquez made plenty of use of Title Role, owned by Will Stroud and the Coolmore partners, as Touch Of Fire set the early fractions, with Title Role second. Title Role grabbed the lead swinging off the final bend, as West End Kid and favourite Remember Mamba charged late on his outside, but could not catch him before the line as he held on by the narrowest margin over the nine furlongs.
The son of Too Darn Hot out of a mare by Lemon Drop Kid, who raced in the US at the end of her career, was bred by Hascombe and Valiant Stud Ltd. Crisford said the colt will remain at Saratoga for the summer and head to the Saratoga Derby in August.
Ed Crisford added of his winner: “That last furlong, he was treading water, but he’s a super tough horse. He really suits these turning tracks. We thought this horse would particularly like two turns around here. Physically, he’s very nimble and well balanced. A lot of the European tracks are galloping, straight miles. He has this really good, sort of an electric turn of foot. That’s why we came here.”
It proved a perfect decision. On the other hand, Pacific Avenue was disappointing, slowly away and he tried to switch wide for a run in the straight, but was always on the backfoot, finishing seventh of the 10.
West End Kid had to be resaddled before leaving the parade ring. “He got pretty upset at that. Then he was pretty keen on the first turn and down the backside. He ran a hell of a race,” trainer William Walden said in interviews afterwards.
Belmont Oaks (Grade 1)
THE Donnacha O’Brien-trained three-year-old filly Kensington Lane, acquired by new ownership this spring in hopes that she could become a Group/Grade 1 winner, proved a perfect purchase as she recorded an impressive win in the Belmont Oaks.
Again she was given a fine ride by a US rider, as Joel Rosario had her a close fourth over the first quarter mile. Kensington Lane was sent to the front then in the nine-furlong contest and never looked like being caught.
She cruised past the post a comfortable length-and-three-quarter winner over runner-up Faithful Departed, with third-placed Fitz Right another half length back.
European-trained fillies have now won five of the past nine runnings of the Belmont Oaks.
“We were expecting her to jump quick and have a good position,” Kieran Murphy, O’Brien’s traveling assistant told media. “We were out of (stall) 3, which was a help, and she has loads of pace.”
Quick reward
Bred on the same lines as Precise, by Starspangledbanner out of a Galileo mare, it was quick reward for owners Medallion Racing, Agave Racing Stable and Evan Trommer.
Kensington Lane drifted out in the betting to start at 23/1 odds. This despite her coming off a respectable fifth-place in the Irish 1000 Guineas, where she was just two and three-quarter lengths behind Abashiri in third.
The Godolphin runner could only finish eighth, as the favourite faded out of contention in the straight. William Buick said of his filly, who took the lead after a quarter mile after a slow start: “At the half-mile (pole), she was struggling. She’s probably not used to the sharp oval tracks, lacked that experience.”
Phillip Shelton, racing manager for co-owner Medallion Racing said on Blood-Horse: “What we knew is she wants firm ground, and we thought the way she runs in Europe, a turning track would suit, and she just bolted up today. In this business, plans don’t work out very often, but this time it did.”
Plans were confirmed by Medallion Racing on Tuesday for her to head to trainer Phil D’Amato in California for the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks next month.
The social media post said: “We are very appreciative to Donnacha and the entire team in Bawnmore Racing. He is a huge part of our team and we will continue to support him.”
Suburban Stakes
The most impressive winner of the day came in the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes Presented By Subourbon Life, when last year’s winner, the Goldolphin-bred Phileas Fogg raced away in the straight to win by 10 lengths, repeating his win of last season.
Antiquarian went off favourite with Hit Show and Stars And Stripes also having support.
But the six-year-old gelding, now owned by Jupiter Stable LLC, simply whizzed off the bend under Kendrick Carmouche and second-placed Hit Show never got a blow in.
ON Sunday, the Grade 1 Leo O’Brien Handicap Hurdle went to the seven-year-old Irish-bred Fracas gelding McTigue, who stormed back from off a runaway pace set by Take Your Seats to win for owner Irvin S Naylor.
Trained by Cyril Murphy, for whom the win marked Murphy’s 100th as a trainer, the Irish-bred made his bid on the outside under Graham Watters and edged the favourite Rocket One.
Murphy was quoted as saying: “He got a lovely ride from Graham and had a nice position. He took his time, jumped great, travelled strong, and filled them up all the way around that last bend.”
McTigue was still near the rear of the field jumping the ninth and final fence, but in the final straight with Rocket One on the outside and McTigue on the inside, the pair began their runs on St James The Great and the tiring leader, Take Your Seats.
Rocket One, also second in the Grade 1 Steinman Hurdle here in May, took command with a furlong to run, but McTigue found more on the outside and got past to win by a length.
Watters said the patience was key. “You ride them like that, with confidence, and he either finishes or he doesn’t. There is not much you can do about it; all you can do is hope for the best. In the end, Rocket One got to the front at the furlong pole and actually idled, so that helped me.” The winner was also receiving 8lb from the second.
Bred in Ireland by Mrs Marguerite Joyce, McTigue earned his first graded stakes victory after finishing third in the 2023 Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap here.
McTigue could line up in the next Grade 1s at the Spa, the A.P. Smithwick Memorial on August 5th or the Jonathan Sheppard Memorial on September 2nd.
The Leo O’Brien was inaugurated this year and named after the legendary trainer of New York-bred millionaires Fourstardave, Irish Guineas winner Fourstars Allstar and Irish Linnet.