Marconi Ready for Another Belmont Distance Test

After a breakthrough graded stakes win racing 1 1/2 miles on the Belmont Park dirt, Marconi will return to that distance in search of more success Sept. 7 when he starts in the inaugural Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational Stakes.

Campaigned by Bridlewood Farm, Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor, Marconi scored a frontrunning win June 8 in the Woodford Reserve Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (G2) at Belmont. In completing the long trip around the oval in 2:28.97, Marconi capped a three-race win streak that included scores in the 1 3/16-mile Skip Away Stakes in March at Gulfstream Park and the 1 3/8-mile Flat Out Stakes in May at Belmont.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Marconi has delivered a throwback type of season. Racing exclusively on dirt, the son of Tapit  has won three of six starts and logged 8 1/16 miles. A $2 million purchase at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Marconi is a half brother to grade 1 winner and sire Mucho Macho Man  and enters Saturday's race off a runner-up finish to King Zachary in the Aug. 1 Birdstone Stakes over 1 3/4 miles at Saratoga Race Course.

"He's seemed to have found his groove in these types of races," Pletcher said. "He's training well and has run well at Belmont, so we'll give him a shot to rebound coming out of the Birdstone."

Pletcher also will send out Bortolazzo Stable's You're to Blame, a grade 3 winner at the distance who just missed winning the Pimlico Special Stakes (G3) in May at Pimlico Race Course. The son of Distorted Humor  will look to bounce back from an off-the-board finish Aug. 2 in the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga when he starts from the inside in the expected field of eight older horses.

"I thought he encountered a difficult trip in the Alydar," Pletcher said. "He's been training well since that race. He's also had success at these types of distances as well and seems to be coming in here in good form heading into the race." 

Entered off a stakes win at Saratoga is Gerald and Jerrie Stewart McManis and Joyce Young's Highland Sky, who rolled to an 8 1/4-length victory Aug. 21 in the off-the-turf John's Call Stakes. The winning effort on the sloppy (sealed) track marked just the second start on dirt for the 6-year-old son of Sky Mesa .

"He appreciated the slop the last time," trainer Barclay Tagg said. "I don't know if we'll get that weather again, but it was a good effort from him. It might be back a little quick, but he's been training well, so we entered him in there and we'll see what the weather is like." 

Entries: Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational S.

Belmont Park, Saturday, September 07, 2019, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/2m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:43 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1You're to Blame (KY)	John R. Velazquez	120	Todd A. Pletcher	4/1
2	2Maraud (KY)	Rajiv Maragh	122	Carlos F. Martin	20/1
3	3Roaming Union (KY)	Joseph Talamo	118	Michelle Nevin	15/1
4	4Realm (VA)	Junior Alvarado	118	Barclay Tagg	6/1
5	5Highland Sky (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Barclay Tagg	8/1
6	6Carlino (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Mark A. Hennig	10/1
7	7Marconi (KY)	Jose Lezcano	122	Todd A. Pletcher	2/1
8	8Rocketry (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	James A. Jerkens	5/2