Disco Partner Hits Every Step in Belmont Turf Sprint

Patricia Generazio is still the only owner-breeder to win the $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational Stakes after her homebred Disco Partner rolled to a 4 1/2-length victory in the six-furlong test Oct. 6 at Belmont Park.

In securing his second straight win in the race, Disco Partner rolled past Generazio homebred Pure Sensation—the race's inaugural winner in 2016 who led early Saturday—on his way to the easy win.

Disco Partner has been dominant in turf races up to one mile at Belmont, earning his sixth stakes win there Saturday. Sent off the 1-1 favorite, Disco Partner, guided by Irad Ortiz Jr., completed the race in 1:08.50.

Disco Partner finished third in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) and winning trainer Christophe Clement said this year's Belmont Turf Sprint should set him up well for that Nov. 3 test at Churchill Downs.

"He's getting older, but he's still one of the best, if not the best sprinter, in New York, and I thought it was a very impressive performance," Clement said, "Irad was not too hard on him which is great. As long as he comes back in good shape, we'll get him ready for the Breeders' Cup. I don't like to have too hard of a race before the Breeders' Cup, so I was very happy with the performance today."

Pure Sensation was edged for second by late-running Blind Ambition. 

Clement was just getting started Saturday, as later he would send out Have At It to his first stakes win in the $500,000 Hill Prince Stakes (G2T).

In the Hill Prince, jockey David Cohen found room along the inside to squeeze Have At It past early leader Sand Dancer in the stretch on his way to the win.

Robert S. Evans' Have At It, a son of Kitten's Joy , entered the 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds off a close runner-up finish to Rose's Vision in the Better Talk Now Stakes Aug. 27 on the Saratoga Race Course turf.

"He's always been a nice horse. It took us a while to figure him out," Clement said. "Every time he's been ridden forwardly this year, he's run very well. Every time he's been taken back he's run disappointingly. His race in Saratoga (Better Talk Now) was a good race. He probably should have run with a better trip. His allowance race here as well (July 5) was a very good race as well and today he ran great.

"I was a little bit worried on the turn that the horse on the lead got loose and we couldn't catch him, but he really quickened and got there so it's a lot of fun."

Have At It completed 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf in 1:50.52 to win by one length over longshot Sand Dancer. Longshot Prioritize rounded out the trifecta. Raging Bull, the 1-2 favorite, flattened late and finished fifth.