Isotherm Narrow Victor in Pilgrim

With a strong run while widest of all in the stretch, Matthew Schera's Isotherm proved best in a rousing edition of Belmont Park's Pilgrim Stakes (gr. IIIT) for 2-year-olds. The son of Lonhro edged Azar by a neck who was in between horses with an unlucky Ray's The Bar finishing third along the rail.



The winner, who broke his maiden last time on the turf at Saratoga going the same 1 1/16 miles, covered the trip at Belmont in 1:41.98 under Jose Lezcano. Trained by George Weaver, the dark bay or brown colt is out of the More Than Ready   mare Game for More. He was a $120,000 Keeneland September yearling sale graduate.



Pagan broke sharpest from the gate, but it was Next Shares who got the early advantage in the Pilgrim and set a moderate tempo of :24.21 for the opening quarter-mile and :48.29 for the half-mile as he was chased by Brass Compass. Just of those two were Pagan and Azar. As the pace leaders began to tire, several runners made their run on the turn and as they straightened away for the stretch drive there were five across the track with a chance.



That group did not include Ray's The Bar, who tried to find room along the inside under Javier Castellano throughout the stretch run. When he got through, Isotherm had already built up a head of steam while coming widest of all and Azar continued to grind away toward the lead. All three had a chance in the final strides as Isotherm prevailed.

 "He broke very good and and he was in a good position the whole way,' said Lezcano. "At the half mile pole, everybody started to move a little bit and the pace started to quicken, so I had to move with the group. After that I got cut out but this is a very talented horse. He does everything easy. When everyone started moving, I had some pressure and was a little out of it but he still did everything right. He's a very nice and talented colt."

Highland Sky was fourth.



The winner paid $21.20, $9.20, and $6.40. Azar returned $7 and $3.80 while Ray's The Bar paid $3.90.



The winner now has two wins from three starts and has earned $173,950. He was fourth in his debut, a six-furlong maiden race on the dirt Aug. 1 at Saratoga Race Course.



Bred by H. Allen Poindexter, Isotherm was purchased at the September sale by Rockbridge Bloodstock from the Paramount Sales, agent, consignment. He was an out at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s March sale of 2-year-olds while offered by Eddie Woods.

"We bought him in the Keeneland September sale last year," Schera said. "We all loved him. Everyone can see he's one of the prettier horses around. I kept telling everyone that he trains better than he ran last time, but he still won so we kind of expected something more today and it looks like  he came out and he did it. We even think he likes the dirt, too, so we'll see down the road for that. As long as he comes out good and he's healthy, we'll go to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf."



He is from the first North American crop of Lonhro, a top sire in Australia who previously shuttled to Darley near Lexington. 

Isotherm is the fourth foal out of Game for More, a stakes-placed earner of $153,330.