Brown Sends Out a Foursome in Belmont Derby
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Photo: Ryan Thompson
Digital Age after winning the American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs
Trainer Chad Brown apparently believes in the essence of the old adage that stipulates if you don't succeed at first, try, try again.
Only Brown's twist on that saying is try, try, try, try again.
While the $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) stands as one of the rare major turf races in New York that has managed to elude the three-time Eclipse Award winner's grasp, he will enter the July 6 edition of the 1 1/4-mile stakes with an enviable array of talent.
Of the 14 3-year-olds entered in the opening leg of the New York Racing Association's Turf Trinity at Belmont Park, not only does Brown train four of them, his quartet includes two undefeated graded stakes winners.
Brown's formidable hand includes Peter Brant's Demarchelier and Klaravich Stables' Digital Age, both of whom are 3-for-3 in their brief careers with a graded stakes win in their most recent start.
His contingent also includes new arrival Rockemperor and Standard Deviation, who are among a high-class international field that also features a pair of Europeans from trainer Aidan O'Brien in Cape of Good Hope and Blenheim Palace and Japan's Master Fencer, who makes his U.S. turf debut after finishing fifth in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and sixth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
Demarchelier enters off a neck victory in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T) at Belmont. Sixth early in the 1 1/8-mile stakes, he grabbed the lead in the final sixteenth and held off a late charge by Juddmonte Farms' Seismic Wave, who is also entered in the Belmont Derby.
By winning the Pennine Ridge, which marked the first appearance in a stakes by the son of Dubawi after allowance and maiden wins, Demarchelier can become the third straight winner of the 1 1/8-mile stakes to win the Belmont Derby, joining Catholic Boy (2018) and Oscar Performance (2017).
The bay colt out of the Sadler's Wells mare Loveisallyouneed was consigned by his breeder, Newsells Park Stud, and sold for $592,487 at the 2017 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Digital Age, a son of Invincible Spirit, used a strong run from fifth in the stretch to capture the American Turf Stakes Presented by Ram Trucks (G2T) at Churchill Downs May 4. Before that, he prevailed in the Columbia Stakes and a maiden race, both at Tampa Bay Downs.
Bred by Merry Fox Stud, the undefeated Digital Age was also purchased at the 2017 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, going to Klaravich Stables for $451,781. Out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Willow View, he was consigned by The Castlebridge Consignment.
Rockemperor, a son of Holy Roman Emperor, is a recent private purchase by Sol Kumin's Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael E. Kisber, and Bethlehem Stables making his U.S. debut after finishing sixth in the QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club (G1) at Chantilly in France June 2. Klaravich Stables' Standard Deviation, a Curlin colt, won the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth Park June 1.
The draw for the 10-furlong stakes was not kind to most of Brown's runners as Demarchelier, Digital Age, and Rockemperor will break from posts 12-14, respectively. Standard Deviation landed post 2.
Both of O'Brien's runners are group-placed sons of Galileo owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith of Coolmore fame.
Cape of Good Hope was second in a group 2 stakes at 2 and won the Investec Blue Riband Trial at 1 1/4 miles in his 3-year-old debut. He was then fourth on firm turf in the Prix du Jockey Club, beating Rockemperor, but was 10th in the Hampton Court Stakes (G3) on soft ground at Royal Ascot June 20.
"The ground didn't help last time as it was soft the first two days at Ascot. He likes hard ground," said O'Brien's assistant trainer T.J. Comerford. "He won at Epsom on hard ground going a mile and a quarter. He was ridden patiently and came home well. He's a grand horse, and he's arrived well."
Blenheim Palace was second in the Dubai Duty Free International Stakes (G3) over a "good" course at 1 1/4 miles June 29 but before that was 14th in the Prix du Jockey Club on firm ground after finishing second in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (G3) on yielding turf.
"A mile and a quarter really seems to have helped him," Comerford said. "Each time out, he's progressed. He ran in front of Sovereign in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, which was won by Broome. We ran first, second, and third that day, and (Sovereign) came back to win the Irish Derby (G1). His form is there. He's a hearty horse and does a lot of shouting like Mendelssohn used to do. For him, going a mile and a quarter will be ideal as he stays well."
O'Brien won the 2016 Belmont Derby with Deauville and has a win, a second, and two thirds from six starters in the race.
The Belmont Derby marks a return to turf for Master Fencer, who was closing stoutly in the final furlong of both the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby. The 3-year-old son of Just a Way started his career last year in Japan with a second and then a fourth in turf races for trainer Koichi Tsunoda before switching to dirt.
He will be ridden by Suguru Hamanaka, replacing Julien Leparoux, who was aboard for his starts in the two U.S. classics. Hamanaka is 2-for-2 aboard owner Katsumi Yoshizawa's colt, registering maiden and allowance wins on dirt.
"He's gotten bigger and stronger," Hamanaka said through translator Kate Hunter. "He's always been a horse that breaks slow and is very far behind everyone else. In the two times I rode him, I used that knowledge and started asking him earlier in the race to get him revved up."
Seismic Wave, a homebred son of Tapit , figures to appreciate Saturday's added distance of the 10-furlong Belmont Derby after showing a sharp stretch kick while finishing second in the Pennine Ridge and fourth in the American Turf while making up nearly five lengths in the final furlong of the Churchill Downs stakes.
Leparoux will be aboard John C. Oxley's Moon Colony, a son of Uncle Mo who captured the Penn Mile Stakes (G2T) for trainer Mark Casse in his last start.
Trainer Todd Pletcher will send out the duo of The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia, a Street Boss colt who was 1 1/4 lengths behind Demarchelier in third in the Pennine Ridge, and Wertheimer and Frere's Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up Spinoff, a son of Hard Spun making his first start on turf after finishing sixth in the Belmont Stakes.
Also among the bulky field is UAE Derby Sponsored by Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2) winner Plus Que Parfait, a Point of Entry ridgling who was third on turf in his career debut last year at Ellis Park. More recently, he was eighth in the Kentucky Derby, 5 1/4 lengths behind the disqualified winner, Maximum Security.
The Turf Trinity will continue Aug. 4 with the $1 million Saratoga Derby at Saratoga Race Course and conclude Sept. 7 with the $1 million Jockey Club Derby at Belmont Park.
The Belmont Derby will be the ninth race on an 11-race card with five graded stakes, including the $750,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T). Television coverage will be provided by NBC through a 4 p.m. "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In—Presented by America's Best Racing" program. Post time for the sixth edition of the grade 1 stakes is slated for 5:44 p.m. ET.
Belmont Park, Saturday, July 06, 2019, Race 9Entries: Belmont Derby Invitational S. (G1T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Moon Colony (KY)
Julien R. Leparoux
122
Mark E. Casse
12/1
2
2Standard Deviation (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
122
Chad C. Brown
15/1
3
3Seismic Wave (KY)
Joel Rosario
122
William I. Mott
5/1
4
4English Bee (KY)
Junior Alvarado
122
H. Graham Motion
30/1
5
5Plus Que Parfait (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
122
Brendan P. Walsh
15/1
6
6Henley's Joy (KY)
Jose Lezcano
122
Michael J. Maker
12/1
7
7Master Fencer (JPN)
Suguru Hamanaka
122
Koichi Tsunoda
12/1
8
8Social Paranoia (KY)
Manuel Franco
122
Todd A. Pletcher
8/1
9
9Cape of Good Hope (IRE)
Wayne Lordan
122
Aidan P. O'Brien
10/1
10
10Spinoff (KY)
Luis Saez
122
Todd A. Pletcher
15/1
11
11Blenheim Palace (IRE)
Michael Hussey
122
Aidan P. O'Brien
30/1
12
12Demarchelier (GB)
Javier Castellano
122
Chad C. Brown
6/1
13
13Digital Age (IRE)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
122
Chad C. Brown
9/2
14
14Rockemperor (IRE)
John R. Velazquez
122
Chad C. Brown
8/1
15
15He's No Lemon (KY)
Javier Castellano
122
H. Graham Motion
30/1
