Inside the Trip: Looking at the Belmont Undercard

Honor Code won one of the most competitive races of the weekend in the Metropolitan Handicap. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
While American Pharoah’s victory in the Belmont Stakes was the headline of the day, Belmont Park had an incredible undercard of stakes races on Saturday that should not be overlooked. Trakus takes this opportunity to discuss some of the most interesting data of the weekend.
Channel Marker became a graded stakes winner when taking Saturday’s six furlong Jaipur Invitational on the turf. Breaking from gate 10, he was three-wide tracking the leading pair of Power Alert and Something Extra before swinging even wider in the stretch. Unleashing a quick turn of foot, he powered to the lead and won by a length over Something Extra and Ageless. While Something Extra had almost an equally wide trip, Channel Marker covered 28, 17, and 19 feet, or the equivalent of 3 ½, 2, and 2 ¼ lengths more than the third, fourth and fifth-placed finishers. Only the beaten favorite, Mosler, had a wider trip than Channel Marker. Channel Marker’s final quarter of 23.92 seconds was surpassed solely by fifth-placed Brickyard Kitten’s 23.57 seconds, both the only sub-24 quarters in the field.

Wedding Toast, undefeated in her last four starts at Belmont Park, wired the field with a ground-saving trip in the Ogden Phipps, drawing away to an easy five-length victory.  Untapable was stuck wide throughout and loomed large in the far turn before fading, managing to hold off the oncoming House Rules for second. The Steve Asmussen-trained champion covered 38 feet more than Wedding Toast, which translates to about 4 ½ lengths. Wedding Toast’s final two furlongs of 24.03 seconds were a good bit quicker than Untapable’s 24.76 seconds, while House Rules’ late charge commanded a time of 24.44 seconds.

Despite a difficult start when squeezed from either side at the break, the Todd Pletcher-trainee Curalina took the Acorn Stakes in her first start in graded company. The chestnut filly broke last, but with a sustained wide drive she got up in time to post a neck victory. Curalina had the widest trip in the field, tied only by Condo Commando who was hampered at the start and taken out of her typical running style as pacesetter. Curalina covered 19, 34, and 17 feet, or about 2 ¼, 4, and 2 lengths more than the runner-ups.

Tepin became a Grade One winner on Saturday with her victory in the Just a Game Stakes over a field of distinguished fillies and mares.  Breaking from gate nine, Tepin was forced three wide throughout as Discreet Marq set the early fractions. Filimbi rallied late after experiencing traffic troubles as did Lady Lara, who was in the back of the pack heading into the turn. With her wide trip, Tepin covered substantially more ground than the next five horses to cross the wire, making her three-quarter length win all the more impressive.

The only horse to have a faster final quarter than the winner’s 22.79 seconds was the late-running grey Filimbi, who was a mere .03 seconds quicker. Discreet Marq faded to third with 23.20 seconds, while Lady Lara closed for fourth in 22.85 seconds under jockey Junior Alvarado.

This year’s edition of the Met Mile was one of the most competitive in recent memory. The race was roughly run as Bayern stumbled from the gate and took a sharp left, subsequently shuffling Wicked Strong to the back of the pack. Shortly thereafter in a chain reaction, speedster Bay of Plenty was steadied severely by jockey Mike Smith and lost a lot of ground.

After the first quarter, late running Honor Code was 15 lengths off the pace set by the ground-saving Private Zone but Private Zone’s swift opening fractions of 22.33 and 44.75 seconds set Honor Code up perfectly for his signature closing kick. The son of A.P. Indy found another gear in the stretch and flew home to a 3 ¾ length victory with a final quarter of 23.28 seconds, more than a full second quicker than runner-up Tonalist’s next-fastest time of 24.32 seconds. Unlucky Wicked Strong closed well for fifth in 24.64 seconds, as Private Zone held on for third with 25.25 seconds, and Tamarkuz finished fourth in 25.30 seconds.  
Capping off the Belmont Stakes undercard was the Manhattan Stakes, a Grade One 1 ¼-mile race over the turf. Chad Brown’s Slumber finally found himself with a ground-saving trip and used it to the best of his advantage, drawing away to a 2 ¾ length victory. Sitting midpack in the two path during most of the race, he angled out in the stretch to cross the wire in front. Late-running Big Blue Kitten closed for second with the fastest final furlong of 11.45 seconds. Slumber took the trophy with a slightly slower 11.57 seconds, and Legendary faded from the lead to third in 12.26 seconds.  Big Blue Kitten and Legendary covered 24 and 28 feet, or roughly 2 ¾ and 3 ¼ lengths, more than Slumber.

Whether you were able to attend the races at Belmont Park or simply watched on television, it was a phenomenal weekend of racing capped off by a Triple Crown.