Robert Bruce Remains Undefeated in U.S. Debut
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
In his first start in North America, group 1 winner Robert Bruce takes the Fort Marcy at Belmont
Frank Sinatra said if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.
Clearly, a 4-year-old colt named Robert Bruce can make it anywhere in North or South America.
An undefeated, four-time group 1 winner in his native Chile, Convento Viejo's homebred Robert Bruce was not fazed by the challenge of his first start in the United States May 5, winning by three-quarters of a length in the $150,000 Fort Marcy Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park.
"The expectations were high," said assistant trainer Whit Beckman, deputizing for trainer Chad Brown, who saddled Good Magic to a second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs. "When a horse is undefeated, you expect him to stay undefeated."
The Fort Marcy was one of two graded turf stakes on the May 5 card. The program also featured a victory by Queen's Plate winner Holy Helena in the $200,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G2T).
Robert Bruce was the winner of Chile's major turf race, the El Ensayo Mega (G1) in October before shipping to the United States and landing in Brown's talent-laden barn.
The good vibes about him were reflected in the way he was bet down to a 3-2 favorite (returning $5.30 to win) and the manner in which he accelerated in the stretch run of the 1 1/8-mile test.
Tracking a modest pace of 1:14.34 for six furlongs, Robert Bruce was fourth at the quarter pole but split horses with gusto in the stretch and surged to his impressive debut win in the U.S., covering the nine furlongs on firm turf in 1:47.56.
"I sat in a great position inside and saved all the ground," jockey Tyler Gaffalione said. "At the top of the lane, a spot opened and he just accelerated right through it. Chad and his team did a great job with him.
"I worked him one time over at Palm Meadows and loved him. He looked like a real classy horse, and you could tell by his form he's a champion, and today he proved it."
The victory made Robert Bruce seven-for-seven. The son of Fast Company out of the Orpen mare Lady Pelusa pushed his earnings to $330,457 with the $90,000 winner's share of the purse.
Spring Quality was second by three-quarters of a length over Lucullan.
Ticonderoga, Silverware, Manitoulin, Blacktype, Markitoff, and Small Bear completed the order of finish.
Video: Fort Marcy S. (G3T)
As for the Sheepshead Bay, trainer Jimmy Jerkens understands that when the boss speaks, it pays to listen.
In early April, after Holy Helena posted wins in her first two starts on turf, Jerkens wanted to return the Ontario-bred to dirt, where she raced in the first two starts of her career and broke her maiden.
"I thought a good time to try her back on dirt was the Top Flight (Invitational Stakes) at Aqueduct (a $200,000 stakes April 15). Mr. Stronach very seldom puts his foot down, but for some reason he didn't have a good feeling about it, and he didn't let me do it."
Instead, Jerkens entered Stronach's homebred 4-year-old filly in the Sheepshead Bay, and the boss's decision proved to be sage advice.
Holy Helena overcame a slow pace to post a half-length victory in the 1 3/8-mile turf stakes, improving her turf record to three-for-three and giving her back-to-back graded turf stakes wins.
"Mr. Stronach is a smart man," Jerkens said.
Holy Helena's victory followed an optional-claiming allowance win at Gulfstream Park in her turf debut and a 1 3/4-length score in the March 3 The Very One Stakes (G3T). It also confirmed a wise decision by Jerkens to test the daughter of Ghostzapper on turf this winter, in a tip of the hat to her status as a winner on a synthetic track.
"We were sending her down to Florida, and rather than turn her out for the winter, I thought we might as well freshen her up a bit and try her on the turf and see if she likes it. There was nothing to lose," Jerkens said. "They always say if they like synthetics, they'll like turf, and vice versa. I didn't think there was a downside to it, and it worked out."
Jerkens did not have any specific race in mind for Holy Helena's next start, but he said it would be in a "turf stakes going long" and that the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) was the long-range goal.
"She's gotten stronger and added some muscle at 4," Jerkens said. "Like most horses by Ghostzapper, she's gotten better with age."
The biggest problem in the Sheepshead Bay for Holy Helena, the 7-5 favorite (paying $4.80 to win), was a dawdling pace set by 20-1 shot Palinodie, who led through fractions of 1:15.86 for six furlongs and 1:41.20 for the mile while Holy Helena was fifth in the field of seven.
Taken outside by jockey Manny Franco, Holy Helena was a little more than two lengths behind at the eighth pole.
"I didn't worry too much about the fractions because I was where I wanted to be," Franco said. "I knew I had a lot of horse under me."
Holy Helena kicked into top gear in the stretch and surged past Palinodie to grab the lead in the final sixteenth of a race that was completed in 2:15.15, with a last furlong going in :10.92.
"Some horses, when they pick it up and can't gain ground, they start spinning their wheels. She was relentless," Jerkens said. "She kept going until she got there."
A winner of six of nine starts, Holy Helena earned $120,000 to push her career total to $1,009,333.
Lottie was second by a nose over Santa Monica, with Palinodie another half-length back in fourth.
Estrechada, Peru, and Summersault were next under the wire.