Majid Wires Easy Goer to Kick Off Stakes on Belmont Day
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Majid wins the Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont Park
Zayat Stables' Majid popped the gate and led every step of the way to take the $145,500 Easy Goer Stakes for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park June 8 in the first stakes on the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) undercard.
It was the fourth consecutive victory for Majid, who broke his maiden in January and then won two allowance optional claimers, running on or just off the lead in all of them. Jockey Luis Saez sent him from the gate and Majid established an easy lead, going the first quarter of the 1 1/16-mile race in :23.70 and the first half in :47.55.
Alwaysmining was closest in pursuing the loose leader, with Still Dreaming running in third position before Grumps Little Tots began gearing up on the outside on the turn. Turning into the stretch, Majid had plenty left when Grumps Little Tots came calling, and then Still Dreaming took his best shot. But Majid hit the wire in 1:41.55 one length in front of Still Dreaming, who was a neck better than Grumps Little Tots.
Alwaysmining checked in fourth. However, Still Dreaming was disqualified for interference and placed fourth, moving Grumps Little Tots up to second and Alwaysmining to third in the official order of finish.
Majid is by Shackleford out of the Mineshaft mare Jessamine and was bred in Kentucky by Forever Spring Farm Syndicate. He has won four of six starts and just shy of $180,000. Rudy Rodriguez trains.
"He looked like he was improving over the last couple of races, and he ran great today," Rodriguez said. "I want to thank Mr. Zayat for giving me the opportunity to train this horse and Luis for riding the horse the way he did today. I told him to put him in the race, and hopefully we can hang on. Thank God, we held on.
Majid paid $12.60, $5.30, and $3.10. Grumps Little Tots returned $6.20 and $3.10, and Alwaysmining, coming off a run in the Preakness Stakes (G1), was good for $2.40.
"He showed heart today. It looked like he started to go to the lead and he kept his determination, so that was good to see he can do that," Rodriguez said. "Hopefully, he can keep doing that. We'll go race by race with him, and I'm probably going to take him to Saratoga and freshen him up a little bit. He's a 3-year-old and he's got the world ahead of him. I've just got to hope that he keeps improving. The distance is no problem for him. He's a pretty nice horse, but he's still got to be able to do it going forward."
Saez said the pre-race strategy came together.
"The plan coming in was to take the lead," Saez said. "In his last race, when he took the lead, he was very relaxed. When we came down the stretch, he responded. When I saw them coming, I just tried to ride hard, and thank God we passed the wire first."