High-Priced Structor Strong in the Pilgrim
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Elsa Lorieul
Structor edges Andesite to win the Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park
Jeff Drown and Don Rachel's Structor, an $850,000 purchase this year at auction, delivered again in his second start, taking Belmont Park's $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes (G3T) for juveniles by a head. Yet another turf star on the rise trained by Chad Brown, the son of Palace Malice was an impressive winner first time out Aug. 31 at Saratoga Race Course and added the 1 1/16-mile Pilgrim over Andesite in 1:41.46 under Irad Ortiz Jr.
Tuggle, from the rail, broke on top and showed the way early while being chased by Maxwell Esquire and Andesite through an opening quarter-mile in :23.77. The winner bided his time while wide down the backstretch on a turf course where the rail was more than 20 feet out.
Tuggle remained in front through a half-mile in :47.23. Structor remained slightly wide and inched closer to the leaders. A wide swath of horses fanned out turning for home after six furlongs in 1:11.53, but it was Structor who struck the front. He was later challenged down the lane by Our Country to his outside as Andesite made headway once clear along the inside. The mile went in 1:35.34. Structor held sway over Andesite inside the final sixteenth. Our Country was third.
"I didn't want to go that wide, but I didn't have any other option," Ortiz said. "If I wanted to drop in some more, I would have to keep taking him back, and I didn't want to do that.
"He needed the race. I think he will improve. The first time was a slow pace, and he just finished. Today, he moved a little more in the beginning. He needed the race to get to the next level. He did everything perfectly. He's a nice horse. He's got some talent. I think he's going to get to the next level."
No Word, the 2-1 choice, was fifth behind Famished. The winner paid $7, $4.50, and $2.80. Andesite returned $9.60 and $4.80, and Our Country paid $3.70 to show. The $1 exacta paid $26.50.
"I was proud of this horse (knowing) how wide he had to travel the whole way," Brown said. "No fault of the jockey, just his post and the way some horses wedged their way in there early. He gutted it out. This was a solid pace, :47 and change traveling three deep into the turn. To have enough to gut it out, I think he wouldn't mind a cutback to a mile at all in the Breeders' Cup. He's an improving horse."
Mike Ryan, as agent, purchased Structor at the Ocala Breeders' Sales' March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale from Pick View, agent. Structor was a $160,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase by Marquee Bloodstock from Gainesway, agent.
Bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm, Structor is from the first crop of Three Chimneys stallion Palace Malice out of the More Than Ready mare Miss Always Ready. For 2020, Miss Always Ready has been bred to Gun Runner and Will Take Charge .
Hailing from a deep family, Structor's second dam, Miss Seffens, won five stakes and produced More Than Real (by More Than Ready), Bobby Flay's winner of the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2T).
Structor is the second stakes winner for Palace Malice, winner of the 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1) and 2014 Metropolitian Handicap (G1). The son of Curlin may have a penchant for turf runners. His first black-type winner is Crystalle, winner of the Aug. 29 Saratoga's P.G. Johnson Stakes.