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Del Mar Futurity Day Del Mar Debutante Day Pat O'Brien Stakes Pacific Classic Day Rancho Bernardo Stakes |
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 Portfolio Duration returns after the New York Stakes (G1) Photos courtesy of Amber Chalfin of Downthestretchphotos.com. |
The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival runs from Thursday to Saturday, highlighted by the 158th Belmont Stakes run on Saturday. Friday afternoon's card included 5 graded stakes, contested under sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 80's, main track fast and both turf courses firm.
The $750,000 New York Stakes (G1) featured a field of 8 older fillies and mares going 1 3/16 miles on the Mellon turf. Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) winner and Modesty (G3) runner-up Gezora was sent off as the 9-5 favorite over 7-2 second choice Kathynmarissa, winner of the Modesty, and 4-1 third choice Portfolio Duration, second in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2).
Jockey Flavien Prat sent Portfolio Duration to the lead first time by through fractions of 24.39, 49.21, 1:12.17, and 1:35.36 while pressed by 26-1 longest shot Pretty Picture and stalked by 13-1 Speed Shopper. Turning for home Portfolio Duration continued to lead and held off late-running 17-2 Cankoura to win by a head in 1:52.50. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Kathynmarissa third, while favorite Gezora tired badly to finish last beaten 12 1/4 lengths.
Left: Portfolio Duration heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "She jumped well. We thought that stretching out, she could be the speed. She gave me a good run, tried hard. After the last time, I think she enjoyed a bit more ground. It took her a little bit of time to get going and today on the stretch-out it was better."
Right: Portfolio Duration heads back to the barn after the race. Winning trainer Chad Brown said, "Naturally, just handicapping the race on a stretch-out from a mile to 1 3/16, that's a pretty good jump. When you look at the fractions she ran last time, she figured to be on the lead if she broke well, so we gave [Flavien Prat] full clearance to do that and it just wasn't clear who would be out there with her. Fortunately she had a lot left and she gave me a good feel she could handle this distance in the mornings."
Jockey Florent Geroux sent 35-1 longest shot Maximum Offer to the lead first time by through fractions of 23.41, 47.73, and 1:11.51 while pressed by Meaning and stalked by 9-2 fourth choice Counting Stars. Turning for home Counting Stars swept 7 wide to lead through 1 mile in 1:36.12. Kept to task by Irad Ortiz Jr., Counting Stars drew off to win by 3 3/4 lengths over favorite Always a Runner in 1:48.85. It was another 2 lengths back to Meaning third.
Left: Counting Stars in the winner's circle. Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "I waited until they started moving. When [Always a Runner] jumped on Meaning, I had a good chance to get clear. I had no traffic at all and got clear, and when I hit clear she came running. When I hit the clear she jumped into the bit and I feel like I have the horse to run down the lane. She went by them easy in her own way. She did it the right way today, honestly. She won the right way. She was there for me."
Right: Counting Stars heads back to the barn after the race. Winning trainer Mark Casse said, "She threw one clunker, but she's gotten over that. She [overcame] a lot of adversity today, because she doesn't usually like to be down inside and I think Francisco [Arrieta] rode her great in the Oaks, he saved all the ground, but he couldn't get out until late and she came running late. So Irad had watched the race and determined at the top of the lane he was going to get out. In fairness, we had a five-horse field versus [13], it makes a difference."
Jockey Jose Ortiz sent Nitrogen to the lead first time by through fractions of 23.74, 47.26, and 1:10.48 while pressed by 13-1 Bless the Broken and stalked by Fully Subscribed. Turning for home Nitrogen left the field in her wake, drawing off to win by 12 3/4 lengths over Fully Subscribed in 1:46.93, just 29/100 second off Lawyer Ron's track record set in the 2007 Whitney Handicap (G1). It was another 3 1/4 lengths back to Bless the Broken third.
Left: Nitrogen in the post parade. Winning jockey Jose Ortiz said, "I asked her from the quarter-pole to the eighth-pole and she opened up. She drifted out a little. I looked back, nobody was coming, so I kind of wrapped up. Now I see that she was a fifth off the record, maybe I should've kept asking her and tried to break it, but she did enough. Now, hopefully she is ready for the next one."
Right: Nitrogen gets hosed off after the race. Winning trainer Mark Casse said, "All week when Jose was getting on horses for me, I kept saying, 'The big mare is ready.' And then in the paddock, I said I thought we may be on the lead and I told him, 'If so, go for it.' She's got a high cruising speed. I think maybe when you're bottled up a little, it doesn't help her. I just want to officially say, I'm tired of hearing everybody say she doesn't like the dirt. She is beautiful. You can just see it, she's grown up. She's massive."
Jockey Junior Alvarado sent Grand Job to lead out of the chute through fractions of 22.07, 43.97, and 1:07.69 while pressed by Ways and Means and stalked by Senza Parole. Into the lane Flavien Prat sent Ways and Means 6 wide and she rallied to win by a nose in 1:21.05. It was a long 9 1/2 lengths back to Senza Parole third.
Left: Ways and Means heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "I wanted to get running. The track was quick, I wanted to get running. We did, but obviously the leader was just outrunning me the first part of the race. I was still trying to stay involved as much as I could, without doing too much. She is a great mare, who always gives her best effort, and she sure did today."
Right: Ways and Means heads back to the barn after the race. Winning trainer Chad Brown said, "Her best races are definitely here, but I have been having trouble keeping her in a regular campaign. She's run well at Aqueduct, too. The one Del Mar race wasn't too good. Then again, she came out of that with an ankle chip. There's some question marks. She's going to have to take her game on the road, like I spoke about, and to Keeneland, primarily."
Jockey Manny Franco sent 8-1 fourth choice Coach Mazzula to lead through fractions of 24.42, 48.48, and 1:11.61 while pressed by Lion Lake and stalked by Fitz Right. Into the stretch Coach Mazzula tired allowing Fitz Right to inherit the lead through 1 mile in 1:34.50. Kept to task by Flavien Prat, Fitz Right held off favorite Lion Lake to win by a length in 1:40.39. It was another 3/4 length back to Time to Dream third.
Left: Fitz Right returns after the race. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "I had a good draw, so I wanted to take advantage of it. I didn't feel like we were going that fast for the way the track was playing. I thought we were going quite easy. I felt like I was the only one who could keep up with the pace and second-guessed myself, briefly, but then I thought I was behind good horses, so I wanted to stay there and be involved. I was able to save ground all the way around and tip out when I wanted to, then she made a good run."
Right: Fitz Right heads back to the barn. Winning trainer Chad Brown said, "She got a dream trip with a nice pace duel in front of her between two good fillies. There was no sure thing they would come back to us, but Flavien saved all the ground, was able to get out and give her at least a chance. When the two fillies came to even terms at the end of the race, our filly just had a little more want. I'm very proud of her. She's really developed from two to three."
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