Instilled Regard Outkicks Rockemperor to Take Manhattan
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Instilled Regard wins the Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park
The long wait for a grade 1 victory is over for Instilled Regard.
Competitive but not victorious for much of the past three years, the 5-year-old son of Arch broke through with the most significant victory of his career by outkicking stablemate Rockemperor in the $400,000 Manhattan Stakes (G1T) July 4 at Belmont Park.
For a good portion of Saturday's race, it looked as though Instilled Regard might come close to notching such a victory—only to come up short, as had happened previously. Blocked in traffic coming into the lane and with a strong-finishing rival in Rockemperor surging to the lead in front of him, it appeared any rally he might launch would come too late. But after finding daylight by following Rockemperor, the Chad Brown trainee accelerated between horses to catch that rival by a neck.
"He saved all the energy until the end," said winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. "When I asked him for it, he gave it. I had to work so hard but when I tipped him out, he responded so well. I knew I had a chance to get there, and he got there on time."
Sadler's Joy rallied wide from last to grab third, a neck in front of pace-pressing Channel Maker in fourth. Those two runners were the only prior grade 1 winners in Saturday's race.
Instilled Regard raced 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 2:02.59, though it was his final quarter-mile that was more noteworthy than his overall time. According to Trakus, he closed the final portion of the race in :22.31 to nail Rockemperor.
"Both jockeys did a great job and both horses responded super," said Brown, who trained the 1-2 finishers. "It's unfortunate one of them had to lose. In the end, Instilled Regard just made the last move of the chess match. I'm so proud of the horse. He keeps getting better."
Irad Ortiz Jr. shares a moment with Instilled Regard after winning the Manhattan Stakes
A dirt runner early in his career for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, for whom he won the Lecomte Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Instilled Regard has raced predominately on turf for trainer Brown since joining his stable in the fall of 2018. This past winter, he won the Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park, and prior to the Manhattan, won the June 6 Fort Marcy Stakes (G2T) at Belmont.
Those races, like so many of his lifetime starts, had come going shorter. He only raced 1 1/4 miles once previously, rallying for fourth for Hollendorfer in the slop in the 2018 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Three times over his career he hit the board in grade 1s, first running second in the 2017 Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (G1) on dirt, third in the 2018 Hollywood Derby (G1T) on grass, and third in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1T) this year.
Instilled Regard's victory gave Brown his sixth victory in the Manhattan, all coming since 2012, and his second straight. Last year, he and Ortiz teamed to win the race with Bricks and Mortar, who went on to have a perfect season in 2019 and was voted Horse of the Year.
Brown credited his staff for his Manhattan success.
"It's a testament to my team. Through the years a lot of different horses have passed through our hands but much of my same team is intact and they've been working with all these horses and all the credit goes to them," he said.
Saturday's win was the third for Ortiz in the race after also winning on the Brown-trained Slumber in 2015. Instilled Regard was one of four winners Ortiz rode at Belmont Saturday.
Rockemperor ran almost too well to lose. Closer than usual when drafting in third under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, as longshot Cross Border set slow fractions of :24.56, :50.46, 1:15.93, and 1:39.88, he tipped out three wide to take command inside the final furlong but simply could not repel Instilled Regard late.
"He was keen. He was strong on the turn," said Velazquez. "He ran well, I just think he was a little too keen in the first part."
Bred in Kentucky by KatieRich Farms out of the Forestry mare Enhancing, Instilled Regard has now won five of 18 starts and $983,240 for Larry Best's OXO Equine. His owner purchased him for $1.05 million when consigned by Tom McCrocklin at the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. He is dam's only winner from three foals to race.