Caesars Belmont Derby

Invitational Stakes (Grade 1)

HE might have been a forgotten horse, but if digging a bit deeper, there were a few reasons why punters should have taken a second look at Classic Causeway despite his 26/1 odds in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational.

Going back to early on the Kentucky Derby trail, he had won the Grade 3 Sam P Davis and Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in Florida and was well fancied for the Grade 1 Florida Derby where he totally bombed out, finishing last.

He well down the field again in the Kentucky Derby but his last run, now for Kenny McPeek, in the Ohio Derby held more promise.

Often, the Europeans come with a high profile to a race on turf in the US, but they are used to a different run style, and it pays to look at one who can go from the front as they are often given too much leeway. And what better that to have on your side than a horse by the most versatile of horses in Giant’s Causeway, whose brilliant turf career ended when he almost won the Breeders’ Cup Classic on the dirt.

If recapturing his early season form, on a first outing on turf, Classic Causeway had a definite squeak against the Epsom sixth Stone Age and Godolphin’s four-time winner and Derby eighth Nations Pride and the French-trained Machete who had links to the Vadeni form-line.

There was another pre-race aid to the winner when issues with veterinary records led to the scratch of the Todd Pletcher-trained Emmanuel, the front-running winner of the prep for the Derby, the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes.

A field of 12 was left for the 10 furlong $1 million Grade 1 Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes, the opening leg of the Caesars Turf Triple. With Emmanuel gone, it left Kentucky West Racing and the Clarke M. Cooper Family Living Trust’s homebred Classic Causeway in pole position.

On the pace

From the off, Classic Causeway was on the pace, disputed with Royal Partonage, and held off a charge of closers at the end to take the Grade 1 stakes race by three-quarters of a length on his turf debut. Nations Pride went off favourite under Frankie Dettori and finished well but Brian Lynch trained the colt to run 11th in the Curlin Florida Derby, and in Kentucky but he was transferred to Kenny McPeek after the Derby and had a first start for McPeek when third in the June 25th Grade 2 Ohio Derby. McPeek also ran a more fancied Tiz The Bomb on Saturday.

“After the Ohio Derby I had dinner with the owners and I told them at some point they have to try turf. He has a foot like a pancake,” McPeek said.

“Mentally he’s a tricky horse because he wants to do too much too soon in his races. I felt in the mile and a quarter (on turf) no one would test him like they do in those dirt races in the spring. I thought he could relax and breathe a bit in a modest first half.”

“When he ran in the Ohio Derby he showed a lot of fight in the final quarter of a mile but he got tired in the race.”

McPeek also thought the slower early fractions in a long turf race would also suit Classic Causeway.

Co-owner Patrick O’Keefe of Kentucky West Racing, on his first Grade 1 win in more than 25 years as an owner said to BloodHorse: “We have a genius for a trainer. This was Kenny’s idea. He looked me in the eye before this race and said he wants to take this horse around the world.”

Classic Causeway and jockey Julien Leparoux just led Royal Patronage as they opened a gap, in 23.55secs for the first quarter over firm turf. After the pace slowed Classic Causeway took over on his own, covering a half-mile in 48.02secs. “The other one and the rest is history,” said McPeek.

Final time

Classic Causeway, back to his early season form, held a two-length lead at the mile and outlasting a line of five horses in the run to the line. Final time for the mile and a quarter was 1’59.99.

“The plan was to go to the lead. The only time I was a little worried was in the first turn when Joel (Rosario/Royal Patronage) was kind of head-to-head with me. When he took back, my horse got to cruising and was happy to be on the lead. I was getting him to relax nicely and switch off. It was a good run for him. He was actually feeling pretty fresh today,” Julien Leparoux said.

Giant’s Causeway’s final crop consisted of only three foals and this one gave him another Grade 1, a 36th top-level winner. Nations Pride was slowly away and may have given the winner too much rope, but Stone Age just didn’t find enough late speed to come close to the winner.

McKulick strikes for Brown

Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (Grade 1)

CHAD Brown is the king of US turf races. With three well-considered fillies, was no surprise when he walked into the winner’s circle after winning the $700,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes.

It was the British-bred McKulick, who came four-wide into the stretch under Irad Ortiz Jr., passed the leader With The Moonlight approaching half furlong maker, and drew away to win by a length and three-quarters.

Both McKulick and With The Moonlight are daughters of Frankel.

Brown’s other runner, Consumer Spending, was third by a head, with Aidan O’Brien’s favourite Concert Hall only putting in a subdued effort, never nearer than fourth. Joseph O’Brien’s Agartha was disappointing weakening inside final furlong to finish last of the 10.

The winner was, like many turf winners in the Klaravich Stables colours in recent years, purchased at Tattersalls October Sales, this one for £180,000 by agent Mike Ryan.

Chad Brown said: “She really was born to run a mile and a quarter, and in the races at Churchill, she didn’t get the pace setup she needs. We’ve been waiting for a long time to run her this far, and we had this race picked out as her main target of the season. She’s special, and she finally got enough room to fully utilise that closing kick she has. Irad just rode a beautiful race.”

“I had a beautiful trip,” Ortiz was quoted by BloodHorse. “We broke well, saved ground, and got great position. When I asked her to roll, she took off. I rode her with confidence and she got it done.”

The filly was named after Mary McKulick, whom Chad Brown hired in 2007 when he began training on his own.

“McKulick is the first offspring of Frankel I actually bought, and Seth Klarman (Klaravich Stables) was nice enough to let me name her after my first employee after I left Bobby. And wouldn’t you know that on his birthday she wins a Grade 1.

“Mary was my bookkeeper. She died last year. I’m thinking of her. It’s an extra-special win with it being Bobby Frankel’s birthday today,” Brown said.

The posted time for the 10 furlongs a firm course was initially given as as a too-fast 1m 55.38secs, but the New York Racing Association corrected it to 1m 59.62secs.

Dynamic One stays strong

IN the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes, Dynamic One, a son of Union Rags, turned for home drawing level with the duelling leaders, First Captain and Untreated.

He had been out fought in a similar fashion in the Wood Memorial last season but this time the more experienced Dynamic One persevered. In a duel to the wire with First Captain, he got the verdict by a nose in the 10-furlong stakes race.

“That’s always been a concern with him. (Irad Ortiz Jr.) got him revved up and maybe got there a little sooner than he wanted to, but I think the second- and third-place finishers fought back hard,” Pletcher said.

Owned by Repole Stable, Phipps Stable, and St. Elias Stable, Dynamic One registered his first graded win on Saturday after placing in three graded stakes and winning the Listed Blame Stakes.

He was bought for $725,000 by Repole Stable and St. Elias from the Claiborne Farm at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale,

“He’s getting a little better all the time. His most professional race last time in the Blame and it seems like he keeps getting a little better and is starting to figure things out. He’s a horse we always had high hopes for,” Pletcher said.

Untreated set the pace from the rail, as First Captain joined him and stuck a head in front after a mile in 1m37.49secs.

Dynamic One joined on the outside and two out, they were three across the track with Dynamic One a head in front of First Captain.

From there it became a duel between the favourite and second choice First Captain, before Dynamic One held it in 2m 1.26secs for the mile and a quarter.

“When he made the lead, he waited a little bit and then he fought back,” Ortiz said. “We always liked him, but he could do some things that were a little green out there. I think the last three times, he’s started to figure it out.”

Both Dynamic One and First Captain are expected to meet again in September in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga.