Europeans Cast a Shadow Over Jockey Club Derby

As Martin Panza prepares to step down as the senior vice president for racing operations at the New York Racing Association at the end of the Belmont Park meet, one of his best innovations will be on display Sept. 18.

Panza launched the Turf Triple for both 3-year-old colts and fillies in 2019 to showcase turf racing and entice international participation, and the series has clearly met those goals, especially in terms of luring overseas competitors.

So far this year, the opening leg of the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) was captured by a European shipper in Bolshoi Ballet , and so was the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), which went to State of Rest .

On Saturday, the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes will return to Belmont Park from a year hiatus due to the pandemic with a field of eight that includes four starters who raced in Europe during some part of this year.

With the three open races for males mirroring the distances for three famed Triple Crown races on dirt, the Jockey Club Derby serves as the longest of the three turf stakes at 1 1/2 miles and it also serves as a "Win and You're In" stakes providing the winner with a free spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Topping the cast is Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's frequent flier Bolshoi Ballet, who was fourth for trainer Aidan O'Brien in the shorter, 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby after prevailing by 1 1/4 lengths in the July 10 1 1/4-mile Belmont Derby in his United States debut.

The Jockey Club Derby will mark the son of the late Galileo's second try at a 12-furlong distance. He was seventh, 17 lengths behind, in the June 5 Cazoo Derby (G1) at that distance.

He was originally shipped to France and scheduled to run Sept. 12  in the Qatar Prix Niel (G2), but, according to Racing Post, was scratched by the Longchamp stewards for an irregularity with the vaccination record in his passport. After that, the Jockey Club Derby became Plan B.  

"He was in France on Sunday, but we didn't run him so we decided to bring him here. I think the wider turns suit him well. He's won here two starts back and seemed to go around here over a shorter distance. His last start was a good experience for him. He's won here and has form here, so that's always a big help," said O'Brien's traveling assistant T.J. Comerford. "He's definitely a better horse going farther. He ran a mile and a half in the English (Cazoo) Derby but got a bad cut on his leg, so he really didn't have a race. All of his wins this year were at a mile and a quarter, but he always steps up like a mile-and-a-half horse."

Godolphin's Yibir , a homebred Dubawi  gelding, arrives in the United States off a win at the 1 1/2-mile distance in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (G2) at York. He's trained by Charles Appleby, who owns a record of 2-3-1 in eight 2021 NYRA starts.

"In the Voltigeur, (jockey James Doyle) was able to get him switched off and he brought himself into the race and produced a lovely effort. We've always thought he had that type of talent in him. He's just a bit of a character hence why he's been gelded. He has phenomenal talent and when things fall right for him, he can be any kind of horse," assistant trainer Chris Connett said.

The two 3-year-olds who were a rallying second in the Belmont Derby and Saratoga Derby in their U.S. debuts will also return for the final leg of the series.

Teruya Yoshida's Tokyo Gold , a son of Kendargent , charged into contention from ninth to finish second by 1 1/4 lengths behind Bolshoi Ballet in the Belmont Derby. Trained by Satoshi Kobayashi, he was a group 2 winner in Italy.

Soldier Rising  was 10th in the Saratoga Derby before closing to take runner-up honors behind the victorious State of Rest. Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables, and Michael Caruso and trained by Christophe Clement, the Frankel  gelding has two wins and three seconds in five career starts.

The American contingent features Calumet Farm's Tango Tango Tango , a son of Tourist   trained by Jack Sisterson who was second in the Bruce D. Stakes (G1T) and Jerry Marks Stables' Slicked Back , a Quality Road   3-year-old trained by Brad Cox, who was second in the New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3T).

The field also includes Experienced , who was fifth in the Virginia Derby, and the New York State-bred Step Dancer , who is a grade 2-placed stakes winner for trainer Barclay Tagg.

Saturday's card also includes the final leg of the Turf Triple for 3-year-old fillies, the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes.

Entries: Jockey Club Derby Invitational S.

Belmont Park, Saturday, September 18, 2021, Race 10

• STK
• 1 1/2m
• Turf
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo
• 5:45 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Tango Tango Tango (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Jack Sisterson	12/1
2	2Yibir (GB)	Jamie P. Spencer	122	Charles Appleby	2/1
3	3Tokyo Gold (FR)	John R. Velazquez	122	Satoshi Kobayashi	8/1
4	4Soldier Rising (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Christophe Clement	5/2
5	5Step Dancer (NY)	Dylan Davis	122	Barclay Tagg	20/1
6	6Experienced (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Jonathan Thomas	15/1
7	7Slicked Back (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Brad H. Cox	12/1
8	8Bolshoi Ballet (IRE)	Ryan L. Moore	122	Aidan P. O'Brien	5/2