Wet Your Whistle Zips Home in Belmont Turf Sprint

David Palmer's Wet Your Whistle had already registered a grade 1 win on the grass in addition to a stakes win on a synthetic surface. In the $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational Stakes (G3T) Oct. 4, the versatile 5-year-old again produced a professional effort, powering home a 3 1/4-length winner at Belmont Park.

Out of the gate, Backtohisroots stumbled and unseated rider Jose Lezcano, running loose at the front of the pack. Under jockey Jose Ortiz, Wet Your Whistle was still forwardly placed, staying in second position behind Battle Station before taking command with the opening quarter-mile in :22.47 on the firm outer turf. Ortiz kept pressing his charge with the half-mile going in :45.15.

The Michael Trombetta trainee maintained the edge out of the turn, with three-quarters going in :56.03, before outkicking Chewing Gum to complete the six-furlong course in 1:07.87.

"The loose horse broke and kind of kept the two speed horses, Big Wonder and Battle Station, way out on the track," Ortiz said. "My horse broke very sharp out of the gate, so I just played it by ear. I'm just really glad it worked out.

"He was doing it very nicely the first half-mile, he was just on the beat. Past the quarter pole, I asked him to go and had the loose horse right next to me, and he just engaged with him. He started running. I think 1:07 and 4 is pretty fast for this kind of track. It's been a little heavy all day."

Wet Your Whistle did not make his first graded stakes start until his 4-year-old campaign, when he won in his first attempt in the 2019 Highlander Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine. Off an 11-month layoff, the gelded son of Stroll won the Aug. 17 Karl Boyes Stakes on the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs in his season debut.

After an off-the-board finish in the Sept. 7 Laurel Dash Stakes at Laurel Park last month, he won his first race at Belmont in three tries.

"He had been training well. When I ran him last time, the turf was soft, and he just didn't enjoy it at all," Trombetta said. "He jumped on the bridle and had a little bit of a target. Jose took advantage of the situation. A lot of times in these races, you want to try to get the best trip possible. One thing about putting them up there is you're either good enough or you aren't."

Off at 8-1, Wet Your Whistle returned $19 on a $2 win bet and increased his earnings to $420,653.

"When Mike Trombetta ships here, he doesn't come here to play games," Ortiz said. "His horses are 100% ready."

Wet Your Whistle could potentially target the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) Nov. 7 at Keeneland, though Trombetta did not commit to that spot yet.

"I'll have to talk to the owner and see what's involved. In these kinds of races, especially the turf sprinters, it's a select group that all run against each other and all beat each other here and there," Trombetta said. "If you're going to take a chance, these are the kind of horses to do it with."

Chewing Gum, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, edged Archidust by a nose in his first start since running off the board in the Aug. 22 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who rode Chewing Gum, was second in all three of Belmont's graded stakes races, with Caldee the runner-up in the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) and Point of Honor in the Beldame Stakes (G2).

"I had a beautiful trip," Castellano said. "I have no complaints. I felt like they didn't go that fast because everyone was screaming, 'Loose horse,' and everyone had to control their race and take a hold. I wish there could've been more pace, but it is what it is. We still finished up strong and well."

Fog of War, Holiday Stone, Battle Station, and Big Wonder completed the order of finish. Pulsate was scratched, as was main-track-only entrant Chateau. Lezcano said he was in good order following evaluation by EMS after the race. Backtohisroots was apprehended by the outrider and walked home under his own power.

Live racing will resume Thursday at Belmont with a 10-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. ET.

Video: Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational S. (G3T)