The hybrid of Robert S. Evans Drake’s passage said to be the star of the June 9 New York Showcase Day card at Saratoga Race Course. His win in the $200,000 Commentator’s Prize was so good that he could be ready for bigger and better things.
The Commentator was one of six stakes races for colts held in New York on Sunday, concluding the first Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
With jockey Manny Franco on board, the four-year-old Drake’s Passage forged ahead and cleared fractions of :24.45, :48.88 and 1:12.57 on the muddy dirt track and private. He led by 1 1/2 lengths after six furlongs, and under Franco’s urging at the head of the lane, Drake’s Passage increased his advantage to four lengths when he hit the wire in division 1: 49.32 in 1 1/8 miles .
The win reminded trainer Christophe Clement of Drake’s Passage sire—Evans’s 2014 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner tonalist whom Clement also trained.
“It’s been a very impressive, great ride. He’s in good form, comfortable. He’s a nice horse. I know he was beaten in New York in the allowance races, But they’re really spectacular subsidy races if you look at the numbers,” Clement said. “When he got an easy lead I thought he was going to be dangerous, because I knew he was going to go a mile and an eighth, and he was probably the closest horse I’ve ever had to Tonalist training practice, because he looks like Tonalist.
“I’m very grateful to Mr. Evans. It’s all thanks to his breeding program.”
Trainer Christophe Clement after Drake’s Passage won the Commentator’s Stakes during New York Demo Day at Saratoga Race Course
Drake’s Passage has no chance of beating the mare Speightstown hoarse . He improved his career record to four wins in 10 starts, with earnings of $401,480.
Tonalist stands at Lane’s End in Versailles, Ky., for $10,000.
Videotapes: Commentator S. (BT)
Doc Sullivan beat Mike Lee
Tristar Farm Doctor Sullivan dominated the $121,250 Mike Lee Stakes for 3-year-olds. Press the speed early from the outside, Solomini colt took the lead by half a mile in :45.43 and drew away to win by four lengths. Student Michael Miceli’s final time on the ground for seven long strokes was 1:22.61.
Doc Sullivan improved his career record to four wins in seven starts. Never worse than third place, he earned $270,250.
Bred in New York by Seamus Coughlan, Doc Sullivan was the fourth sire to win the blacktype stakes for the second-crop Solomini sire, a Saratoga Thoroughbreds stand in McMahon for $7,500.
Doc Sullivan wins the Mike Lee Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
VeNti Valentine Add to stake Total
New York Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ Venti Valentine a 5 year old mare by Shooting line won the $200,000 Key Stakes by 6 3/4 lengths.
Venti Valentine and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. sat third on the lap, just behind a speed duel until midway through the far turn, when Ortiz moved her to the outside. Cadet Jorge Abreu passed the tiring pacesetters with ease and completed the 1 1/8 mile course in 1:52.51.
This is the fifth blacktype win for Venti Valentine, who has also won three graded bets. She improved her career record to 7-5-5 in 21 starts, with earnings of $883,600.
Venti Valentine is no longer winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Glorious gold . She was bred in New York by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable.
Venti Valentine draws to win the Key Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Silver Skillet wire attached to Vernon
The $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes was moved from turf to dirt on Saratoga’s one-mile Wilson Chute. Jockey Joel Rosario and his horse Silver pan took advantage of a good start from the rail and took the lead as four of their five rivals on the outside collided at the start.
4 year old boy Liam’s map she would never come out on top as she gradually increased her advantage to four lengths on the ropes. The final time for the distance was 1:37.55.
Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Tango Unity Racing and Steven Rocco, Silver Skillet was bred in New York by Robert Chasanoff. She won four of 13 starts and earned $371,490.
Liam’s map stands at Lane’s End for $40,000.
Lael Stables landing takes Bouwerie
Lael’ Stables Landing won a duel with a wicked pace and pulled ahead to win the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 1 1/4 lengths.
Landed and rider John Velzquez pressed ahead Sunday girl crossed the half mile in :44.83, hit six furlongs in 1:10.44 and completed seven furlongs in 1:23.61 to record the trainer’s first stakes win Coach Wesley Ward.
By second crop sire Omaha Beach Landed was a $500,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. She is a half-sister to Venti Valentine, who won the previous Key Stakes in the card.
Omaha Beach is on display at Spend Farm in Lexington for $40,000. Landed was his seventh blacktype stakes winner.
The spirit of st louis is unfazed by the changing surface
The $121,250 Kingston Stakes was taken off the turf and moved to the Wilson trough, leading the original field of 12 4-year-olds and up to get down to five runners. That doesn’t matter to intern Chad Brown Spirit of Saint Louis who set the pace from third under Manny Franco, made a 4-wide move at the turn and took over the lane to win by 5 3/4 lengths.
The final time for the mile on dirt was 1:37.44. The five-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Richard Schermerhorn improved his glittering career record to seven wins and two seconds from nine starts, for earnings of 521,900 USD.
Spirit of St Louis was bred by Chester and Mary Broman. Medaglia d’Oro is priced at $75,000 at Darley in Lexington.
