Henley's Joy Upsets Belmont Derby

As confusing as the race for leadership among 3-year-old males on the dirt may be, their turf brethren seem equally intent to stage a wild battle for supremacy.

Fourteen 3-year-old grass runners—representing the United States, Europe and Japan—lined up July 6 at Belmont Park for the $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), and true to this year's baffling form, a victory by a 20-1 shot who was 13th in the wagering produced an outcome that triggered an $8,901 trifecta payout for $2.

"After today, there's certainly some confusion with this group," said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who understands the confusion at both ends of the 3-year-old division. Not only does he train Country House, who was declared the winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), but in the Belmont Derby he sent out Juddmonte Farms' Seismic Wave, the 9-2 favorite who finished fifth behind the victorious $43.60 longshot, Bloom Racing Stable's Henley Joy.

"It was spectacular," owner Jeffrey Bloom said.

Spectacular on some levels, as the first leg of the New York Racing Association's inaugural Turf Trinity produced a wide-open betting race that probably raised more questions than answers about the 3-year-old turf division.

Or did it?

"Hopefully, we'll make it an easier situation to pick out the best 3-year-old turfer when the Turf Trinity is over," Bloom said about the 3-year-old trained by Mike Maker. "We're off to a good start."

The Turf Trinity continues Aug. 4 with the $1 million Saratoga Derby at Saratoga Race Course and ends with the $1 million Jockey Club Derby back at Belmont Park Sept. 7. Bloom said the son of Kitten's Joy  is a go for the second leg after finally working out a winning trip following a series of misadventures, such as the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T) when he finished a wide, bumpy fourth.

"I sound like a broken record, but he's had so many races where he had nothing go his way, and I mean from start to finish. The Pennine Ridge was another perfect example of a terrible trip. He didn't lose by much, but he never got a chance to run," Bloom said. "I feel good for the horse. He's such a nice horse, and he tries so hard. I'm glad he got to showcase his talents on the big stage."

Moon Colony and English shipper Blenheim Palace slugged it out for the early lead through fractions of :23.31 and :47.80 while jockey Jose Lezcano kept Henley's Joy positioned on the rail about two lengths behind them in third. 

As the leaders faded leaving the quarter pole, The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia and Henley's Joy forged to the front. Social Paranoia, a 16-1 shot trained by Todd Pletcher, spurted to a length lead at the eighth pole, but Henley's Joy kicked into another gear in the final furlong and drew away for a three-quarter-length victory in 1:58.29 for the 10 furlongs.

"He broke good and was in the right position. When I asked, he took off like the way he broke out of the gate. He was more relaxed today and did everything right," Lezcano said.

Social Paranoia, a son of Street Boss  who has never finished worse than third in nine starts, took second by a half-length over 10-1 shot Rockemperor, who broke from post 14 and rallied from last to take third in his first U.S. start for Sol Kumin's Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber, and Bethlehem Stables.

"I thought he ran great," Kumin said about the Chad Brown-trained 3-year-old son of Holy Roman Emperor. "I wish we had more time with him. It was tough to ship over here, get only two works, and break from post 14 in a million-dollar race. With a better post, he would have been right there. He had to check a bit when some horses came out, but he ran great and I'm excited about the Saratoga race."

It was a difficult time for Brown as one of his four starters—Peter Brant's undefeated Demarchelier, the Pennine Ridge winner and 5-1 second choice—was pulled up and vanned off with lameness in his right front foot.

Brown's other starters, the undefeated Digital Age and Standard Deviation, were fourth and seventh, respectively.

Seismic Wave lacked his usual late kick in finishing nearly four lengths behind Henley's Joy.

"(Jockey Joel Rosario) said he moved very well around the turn. Leaving the half-mile pole, he saved all the ground and cut through and then he flattened out a little bit," Mott said.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien's two Europeans, Cape of Good Hope and Blenheim Palace, wound up eighth and 12th, respectively.

Japan's Master Fencer, who was sixth in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), made an earlier-than-usual move under Japanese jockey Suguru Hamanaka but faded on the turn and wound up 13th.

For Henley's Joy, it was his first graded stakes win and first victory of any kind since the Dec. 8 Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey out of the Bluegrass Cat  mare Blue Grass Music, he now has four wins in 11 starts and earnings of $953,160.

He was originally sold for $20,000 to Wendy Hendriks out of the Stuart Morris consignment at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale. Bloom bought him for $50,000 from Cary Frommer's consignment at the 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Not a bad price at all for a grade 1 winner who continued the trend among 3-year-olds.

"It's one of those jumbled years," Kumin said.

Indeed it is, even on turf.

Video: Belmont Derby Invitational S. (G1T)