Caledonia Road Soars in Season Debut at Belmont

After she was sidelined by an injury that forced her to delay the start of her 2018 campaign, reigning champion 2-year-old filly Caledonia Road returned to racing April 29 and won her season debut by 3 1/2 lengths in an optional-claiming allowance on the dirt at Belmont Park. 

With a break from post 3 in a field of five for the one-turn mile, the Quality Road  filly owned by Zoom and Fish Stable, Charlie Spiring, and Newtown Anner Stud got off to a bit of a rocky start and made brief contact with early leader Special Risk, who set fractions of :24.29 and :48.40 through the first half-mile.

With a move to the outside, Caledonia Road pushed to close the gap as they made the turn into the stretch.

With a surge forward, the filly broke away from the leaders in late stretch to win in 1:38.06. Total Control finished second, a nose ahead of Crimson Frost. Stay Fond and Special Risk rounded out the order of finish.

Just three weeks after her win in the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) that secured her Eclipse Award, Caledonia Road had bone chips removed from her right ankle. Despite progress made over six timed workouts at Palm Meadows since February, trainer Ralph Nicks remained concerned going into Sunday's race that his filly might not yet be in full fighting form.

"She handled this probably a little better than I expected," Nicks said. "I thought she was about 80% today going into it, and she's obviously going to have to step up for the Acorn. But we got a race under her now, so we can handle her a little differently than if we just had to come in off the layoff."

With plans to point her toward the June 9 Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont, jockey Junior Alvarado was pleased the win would help prep the revived champion for future races in graded company. 

"I didn't get worried. I didn't want to go too crazy," Alvarado said. "I was just asking her nice and gentle, and she got the job done today. (We) got her fitter for the next time."