Metropolitan Handicap (Grade 1)
GODOLPHIN’s homebred Cody’s Wish, currently ranked as America’s top horse and undoubtedly the sport’s biggest star thanks to his connection to a teenager in Kentucky, gave Mott his first win in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap with another dominating performance.
Cody’s Wish won the Met Mile by three and a quarter lengths under Junior Alvarado, the sixth straight win for the five-year-old son of Curlin and fourth straight Grade 1 victory.
Mott said before the Met Mile that the race has “been on my bucket list” and he added the stakes to his long list of successes that already includes the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and a dozen Breeders’ Cup wins including two renewals of the Classic.
Heartwarming
“It’s as heartwarming for me as it is for the fans watching,” Mott said.
“I had a lot of people tell me what a great story this is. For sure, it’s a great story, but it goes along with a good horse. He’s developed nicely. I thought he had a possibility of being a good horse before we ever ran him.
“It took us a couple of races to get him going in the right direction and to get him educated enough to where he knew how to use his run. He’s finally figured it out.”
Cody’s Wish is named for Cody Dorman, a 17-year-old who was born with the genetic condition Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome and met the then five-month-old colt during a Make-A-Wish event hosted by Godolphin at Gainesborough Farm. Kelly Dorman, Cody’s father, made the trip from their home in Richmond, Kentucky, for the Met Mile and Belmont Day card.
“Cody wasn’t here today; it’s tough to get around,” said Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin USA “Kelly was here and enjoying the whole thing and I’m sure the family back in Kentucky was watching and cheering the house down. The horse is so popular. We were a bit nervous. You feel plenty of pressure. It was a relief as well as great excitement to win the race.
“It’s an amazing story and we’re so grateful to be part of it and have it carry on. But it’s all down to the horse. He’s a special, special horse. There was a good group of horses here today and he won relatively easy. He looked like he was toying with them at the end. It’s something to win the Met Mile by that big of a margin.”
Cody’s Wish gave Godolphin its third winner at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, along with Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes and Siskany in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup Stakes.
Old Forester Turf Classic (Grade 1)
GODOLPHIN came up short of a fourth Grade 1 when Up To The Mark added to his prior victory in the on Derby Day with a victory in the $750,000 Manhattan Stakes on Belmont Day.
Irad Ortiz Jr. rode the four-year-old son of Not This Time to a two and there-quarter-length victory over Soldier Rising and Ottoman Fleet.Todd Pletcher, who saddled Forte and Tapit Trice in the Belmont, trains Up To The Mark for Mike Repole and St. Elias Stable.
“He’s having a terrific year,” Pletcher said. “We always felt like he had a lot of promise. He won his debut on the dirt and then we got a little bit frustrated that he wasn’t moving forward so we decided to try the turf. Obviously, that’s been the key to his turnaround.
“He gives me the impression that he’ll handle a little more ground. I don’t know what we’ll do from here. When you’re thinking Breeders’ Cup, he’s probably the type of horse where you could go in two different directions.
“We probably need a little experience at a mile and a half to know. We also have the Arlington Million at a mile and a quarter. We’ll enjoy this for the moment and come up with a strategy.”
Godolphin’s Siskany, a Dubawi gelding, and William Buick took the Grade 2 two miles Belmont Gold Cup Stakes on the Friday where Irish raider High Definition kept on inside final furlong but never seriously threatened to finish sixth of the 13 runners.
Brown fillies dominate on turf
Just a Game Stakes (Grade 1)
New York Stakes (Grade 1)
CHAD Brown continued his dominance in the filly and mare turf division when he kicked off the Festival – which started a day late because of smoke from the Canadian wildfires – with Peter Brant’s In Italian winning the Grade 1 Just a Game over New York-bred champion Spendarella and Irish-bred Wakanaka.
Brown added a victory later in the day with Klaravich Stable’s four-year-old American Pharoah filly Marketsegmentation in the Grade 1 New York Stakes.
Ogden Phipps
Stonestreet Stable’s Clairiere kicked off the Grade 1s on Belmont Day with her second straight victory in the Ogden Phipps Stakes, getting up inside the final sixteenth to edge the Brown-trained Search Results.
“What a special mare,” winning trainer Steve Asmussen said. “For her to continue to win races on this level is just incredible. She’s always been top class and if anything, she’s better than she’s ever been.
“To continue winning is the goal with her, but we know where we’re aimed at with the Breeders’ Cup [Distaff] as her year-end target.”
Caravel repeat?
Turf sprint specialist Caravel also has designs on the Breeders’ Cup, and a defense of her crown in the Turf Sprint, after toppling males again in the Grade 1 Jaipur going six furlongs.
The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Mizzen Mast appeared to be headed to Royal Ascot and the Group 1 King’s Stand after beating males in the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland and another small stakes during Derby Week before her ownership group that includes Qatar Racing opted for a trip to New York.
“The owners called an audible and I was good with it. I was totally on board with it,” winning trainer Brad Cox said. “We hadn’t faced the boys over this course but she ran well in the Intercontinental. She showed up and ran a big one today. She’s in incredible form right now. … This is two Grade 1s for her against the boys. I don’t think I’ve ever had a filly to beat the boys.”