Field Pass Runs Down Rivals in Ontario Derby
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Photo: Michael Burns
Field Pass wins the Ontario Derby at Woodbine
It looked as though Field Pass would be standing on the sideline rather than the winner's circle, but a late burst of speed netted the son of Lemon Drop Kid the score in a thrilling edition of the CA$134,000 (US$102,346) Ontario Derby (G3) Nov. 21 at Woodbine.
Field Pass found a seam in deep stretch under Kazushi Kimura and recorded a one-length win as the 5-2 second choice, holding off Breeders' Stakes winner Belichick and a game Malibu Mambo to win the 1 1/8-mile added-money event. Favored Mighty Heart, who won the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes, finished fourth.
It was Mighty Heart who seized control of the 3-year-old race early on, with Malibu Mambo, Field Pass, and Dune of Pilat keeping tabs on the leader through an opening quarter in :24.30 and a half clocked in :47.92.
As Rafael Hernandez urged Mighty Heart to continue his frontrunning ways, Malibu Mambo and Belichick began to circle in on the leader. Meanwhile, Field Pass found himself in traffic trouble as Kimura worked to find an opening for the Three Diamonds Farm silks-bearer.
In deep stretch, Kimura and Field Pass bulled their way between Belichick and Malibu Mambo en route to the Mike Maker trainee's sixth win in 15 starts.
The well-traveled colt covered the distance in an impressive 1:48.35, just missing the track record of 1:48.24 established by Global Access on Sept. 28, 2019.
"My planning was that I didn't want to get too forward, but I didn't want to send him to the front," Kimura said. "That was the perfect position, just waiting for room."
The win was the fifth from nine starts on the campaign for Field Pass, who now has three grade 3 wins (the others are the Jeff Ruby Steaks and Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes).
He arrived for his first Woodbine start after back-to-back third-place finishes in a pair of graded events, the Sept. 5 American Turf Stakes Presented by Smithfield (G2T) at Churchill Downs and the Oct. 18 Twilight Derby (G2T) at Santa Anita Park.
Field Pass improved his record to 6-2-3 from 15 starts.
"Such a classy horse," Kimura said. "I've watched him many times, winning replays. He's nice, a nice horse."
Field Pass paid $7.70 on a $2 win ticket. He was bred in Maryland by Mark Brown Grier out of the Runaway Groom mare Only Me and was a $37,000 purchase by Owls Bloodstock when consigned by Becky Davis to the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale.