Seismic Wave Rolls Last to First in English Channel

Making his first start since finishing sixth in the Oct. 5 Hill Prince Stakes (G2T), Juddmonte Farms' homebred Seismic Wave rallied from last to win the $102,750 English Channel Stakes for 3-year-olds Oct. 26 at Belmont Park.

Breaking from post 4 at odds of 9-2 with Jose Ortiz aboard, Seismic Wave trailed the field of eight as Call Me Harry went to the front, setting fractions of :23.36 for the opening quarter-mile. Halladay assumed the lead through a half-mile in :46.54 on the good Widener turf.

Halladay maintained a narrow lead to the quarter pole as 7-5 favorite Front Run the Fed launched a menacing bid. Seismic Wave, last of eight at the half-mile call, swung out six wide in the upper stretch and was sent into a full drive by Ortiz. Front Run the Fed grabbed the lead at the sixteenth pole, but Seismic Wave would not be denied, extending away to a half-length score.

He completed the one-mile distance in 1:34.37.

"I had a good trip. It was a good setup in front of me," said Ortiz, who notched his fourth stakes win of the meet. "I was just trying to be patient, and going to the quarter pole, I didn't want to move yet, and I felt (Chilly in Charge) going around me. I took my time and let him go, and it worked out perfectly."

Video: English Channel S. (BT)

Returning $11.40 for a $2 win wager, the Tapit  colt trained by Bill Mott boosted his bankroll to $307,900.

It was the first win for Seismic Wave since capturing the one-mile Cutler Bay Stakes in March at Gulfstream Park. Six stakes starts at 1 1/16 miles or more followed. Assistant trainer Leana Willaford said the turn back in distance was important.

"We felt like he needed a little more pace to run into, and it set up well for him today. He had been running in longer races, and with no pace up front, it was taking away from his kick, and he hasn't been able to pick them up," Willaford said.

Following Front Run the Fed in second was Halladay, Chilly in Charge, Bourbon War, Power Player, Call Me Harry, and Digital Footprint.

Seismic Wave is out of the group 1-placed Anabaa mare Conference Call, who is also the dam of group 1-placed Teletext. The mare foaled a Noble Mission  colt in April and was bred back to Juddmonte's Arrogate .

Buy Land and See Takes Awad in Stakes Debut

Joseph Imbesi's Buy Land and See tracked the pace, made a move to the inside of a rival down the stretch, and held off a late charge from Pixelate to score in his stakes debut in the $100,000 Awad Stakes over the Widener turf course.

Trained by Steve Klesaris, the Pennsylvania homebred arrived at the one-mile outing for juveniles off an 8 1/4-length romp on the Parx Racing turf in his second start. 

Buy Land and See, a gray/roan son of Cairo Prince , settled in fourth under Irad Ortiz Jr. while 14-1 longshot Noble Emotion broke sharply and went to the front from his inside post. Noble Emotion ran an opening quarter-mile in :23.06, just a half-length ahead of maiden winner Get Smokin. 

The pacesetter extended his lead to a length with a half-mile in :46.89 and remained in command into the far turn, where Buy Land and See received his cue from Ortiz and responded with a five-wide move. 

At the top of the stretch, Buy Land and See loomed closer to the front to the inside of new leader Don Juan Kitten under Kendrick Carmouche. In the final furlong, Buy Land and See moved past his rival and held off a late charging 35-1 Pixelate to win by a neck in a final time of 1:35.70. It was another 1 1/2 lengths to Don Juan Kitten in third.

Completing the order of finish were Irish Mias, Talking, Tiesto, No Lime, Me and Mr. C, Noble Emotion, and Get Smokin.

Video: Awad S. (BT)

"I had horse at the quarter pole. Kendrick's horse had the momentum, and my horse didn't kick right away," Ortiz said. "When I got three or four strides, he started to kick very fast and was running. I just kept riding and kept him straight. The whole way, he was there for me. He's a nice horse."

Buy Land and See, who returned $8.70 for a $2 win ticket, increased his earnings to $110,800 in only his third start.

Klesaris was pleased with the effort and said the horse will be bound for Florida for the winter, where he will likely be slated for stakes races. 

"We were concerned with the way he broke. We wanted him to settle because he was so rank last time in his first victory," Klesaris said. "He was wide. Irad tried to get him to relax, and we accomplished the mission. He didn't really want to be on the lead, and Irad rode him perfect. I've always thought a lot of this horse. He's really matured since he's arrived in April. With each race, he just continues to train well and showed me today he's real. He's going to Florida, and in a couple weeks, we'll map out where we want to go."

Buy Land and See is out of the Maria's Mon mare Twiggles and is a half brother to black-type winner Sweet Bye and Bye. Twiggles foaled a Liam's Map  filly in April.