Royal Posse Sails Clear in Empire Classic

Michael Dub, Bethlehem Stables, and Gary Aisquith's Royal Posse continued to make hay in the New York-bred ranks Oct. 22 at Belmont Park with a sloppy score in the $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap. 

Favored Governor Malibu weaved through traffic in an attempt to make a last-to-first closing run, but Royal Posse had opened up such a large lead in the stretch that any rallying effort was fruitless.

A 5-year-old Posse gelding trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Royal Posse made a four-wide move in the Belmont turn and held a narrow advantage at the quarter pole, then easily pulled away from the pack.

Four lengths on top with a furlong to run, he cruised home under Irad Ortiz Jr. to win by 3 1/2 lengths and finished the one-turn 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.15.

Wake Up in Malibu set the pace, with Hit It Once More applying pressure a half-length behind with fractions of :24.45 and :48.61 through a half-mile. Hit It Once More then took over, but Royal Posse loomed.

"We got a good trip. He broke sharp and was very game today," Ortiz said. "He put me in there and from the three-eighths pole we were rolling. He's a runner. He's doing so good, and Rudy is doing such a great job with him and keeping his momentum. He loves the mud. It wasn't a problem for him at all."

The Empire Classic follows clear victories for Royal Posse in the Aug. 7 Alydar Stakes and the Sept. 2 Evan Shipman Stakes, both going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course.

"He loves the slop," Rodriguez said. "He's a very honest horse. He always trained good and we're just very blessed to have him in the barn. I didn't have much concern with the track conditions because he won in Florida on a sloppy and sealed track and he's a very game horse."

Governor Malibu came in 3 3/4 lengths ahead of defending Empire Classic winner Empire Dreams.

"It just took a long time to get him in the race today and I was riding him," said Governor Malibu's jockey, Joel Rosario. "He put a little run in at the end but, by then, he was too far away from me."

The winner paid $7.90, $3.40, and $2.50 across the board. Governor Malibu brought $2.70 and $2.10, while Empire Dreams delivered $2.30.

Pax in Terra finished fourth, followed by Hit It Once More, Good Luck Gus, Clifton Pleasure, and Wake Up in Malibu, to complete the order of finish.

Bred by Richard Troncone and Richard Troncone Jr., out of the Cryptoclearance mare Struckbylightning, Royal Posse now has a 10-10-0 record from 33 starts. In 2016, he hasn't finished worse than second in seven starts, all in stakes company.

Other winners on the Saturday card featuring eight New York-bred stakes were Quezon in the Iroquois, Breakin the Fever in the Hudson, Bonita Bianca in the Maid of the Mist, Brother O'Connell in the Mohawk, Pat On the Back in the Sleepy Hollow, Bar of Gold in the Empire Distaff, and Old Harbor in the Ticonderoga.