The BEL

For 3 Year Olds

Going 1 ½ Miles on the Dirt Course

Purse $1,500.000

at BEL

Saturday June 6, 2015

This was a race for the ages.  A huge upset today, and only the long shot bettors could be happy.  Trainer/Owner Mb Stables saddled six horses in this race.  His longest shot on the board at 38 to 1 Deja Steel showed up at the distance of a mile and a half, to surprise everyone.  Your favorite Generals Companion did not hit the board, and your KYD winner King Cobra scratched just prior to the race.  With that late scratch only 15 would be loaded and be set to go.  Let’s look at how it all went down.

Deja Steel broke out of the gate well to be eighth in the early going.  Jockey J R Velazquez got him settled within the pack, sitting off the pace in the early going.  He went four wide in the opening quarter of a mile.  As the field headed toward the clubhouse turn and into the backstretch he settled to be twelfth at the half mile, which went in :48 flat.  Now the field is pointed into the back stretch and he headed to start make a small move down the back stretch to be ninth.  The three quarters went in 1:12 2/5.  As the field headed down the backstretch and into the far turn he was eighth.  As he was in the far turn and head to the quarter pole he split Generals Companion and Viking Shield to get up to be fourth.  Now with a quarter to go J R Velazquez asks for more, and Deja Steel delivers splitting A One (#1) and Dominant Speed (#3) to get up for the win.  He finished the distance in 2:29 2/5.  He earned owner Mb Stables $900.00 for the run.

A One got out of the gate to be tenth in the opening quarter.  At the half mile he moved up to be eighth by the guidance of jockey Robby Albarado.  Into the backstretch the field went he moved up quickly to be fifth.  Robby continued on him as the field started to head towards the far turn where he was now fourth at the mile.  With four furlongs to go, he still have some distance to go.  In the next quarter of a mile he move up to be second right behind Im Too Confident (#8).  Robby probably thought he was home free going in the final stretch.  Then when he looks to the right there was Deja Steel (#5) who was passing him, for him to go on to finish second for owner Sanny Village earning a total of $360.00 for his owner.

Dominant Speed broke out of the gate to be seventh in the opening quarter, as he was pushed there by jockey Alan Garcia.  As the field finished four furlongs he moved up to sixth.  Into the backstretch he continued looking strong to be sixth at the half way point. Down the backstretch he moved up to fifth, and when they went into the far turn he rallied to be third.  Jockey Alan Garcia was racing hard against A One (#1) until Deja Steel (#5) came up to ruin the party.  He would go on to finish third for owner Rockitpad and picks up $180.00 for the run.

Im Too Confident out of the gate he pressed on through traffic to get up to be fourth.  Im Too Confident might have just done that in this race, as he was placed on the lead after two furlongs of the race.  He set all the fractions throughout the next 8 furlongs.  Into the stretch he was getting tired but he could not keep up and went on to finish fourth for owner Mb Stables and he picks up $60.00.

Port On The Horizon and jockey Jose Ortiz rallied right out of the gate to get the lead.  He had the lead in the opening quarter.  From there he would settle back to be third behind Im Too Confident (#8) and Lukas Duke (#14).  He would be third throughout the next eight furlongs.  As the field hit the mile and a quarter he trailed to be sixth, and eventually came back to finish fifth for owner D J C Racing Stables.

Generals Companion was a disappointment for The Tout and me for sure.  I have to think the betting public was pretty upset as well, as the favorite never seemed to be in the finale.  Out of the gate he was placed eleventh at the opening quarter.  When the field hit the first half mile he was now last.  At the half way point he went on to be 14th.  In the early going he just really did not show much interest.  Even at the mile he was only 13th.  With 4 furlongs to go, he started to sprint, and came on strong as with two furlongs to go he was 8th.  In the final two furlongs he rallied to get up to finish sixth for owner Maxmillion Farm.

Much Notoriety out of the gate to be fifth in the opening quarter.  As the field to go to the first half mile to be seventh.  He back pedaled a bit to be eighth at the half way point.  As he went to the mile he was seventh, and would continue there to finish seventh for owner Mb Stables.

Divine And Broke broke out the gate to be 12th.  At the half mile he was 14th.  With being in front of only one horse he had a lot to make up to be competitive here.  At the half way point he was only tenth.  He still had a lot to make up, but still had plenty of surface to do it.  For the next four furlongs he did not move out of tenth.  In the final two furlongs he eighth for owner Sanny Village.  In my opinion I think he moved way to late for him to be in the mix in the final jump.

Decima was another that did not get out of the gate well to be 14th at the opening quarter.  From there he would move up to be 13th at the first half mile.  Then at the half mile, and mile he was last of them all.  He rallied to be 13th with two furlongs to go.  In the stretch he rallied to be ninth for owner Mb Stables.

Lukas Duke showed a lot of early pace in the beginning.  Out of the gate he was second going to the opening quarter.  Martin Garcia guided him throughout the mile to be second the whole way.  With four furlongs to go, he tired and tire he did to go on to be tenth for owner Jkk Racing Stables.  I would expect you will see him at a mile next time out.

Just A Chance really never seemed to get involved in this race.  He started out to be last of them all at the opening quarter.  At the opening half mile he was 11th.  As he was pushed to the half way point and the mile he was 12th.  In the last four furlongs he would rally back to eleventh for owner Mb Stables.

Mars another one who really didn’t get involved in this race.  Out of the gate he was 13th at the opening quarter.  At the opening half mile he went on to be tenth.  That would be his best position throughout the entire race.  He would go on to finish twelfth for owner Grimley.

Son Of Laggy broke out of the gate to be ninth for the first half mile.  As he went to the for the next half mile he would fade to be eleventh.  In the last half mile he would be fourteenth with two furlongs to go.  In the final two furlongs he would go on to be thirteenth for owner Mb Stables.

Viking Shield got a nice start to be third in the opening quarter of the race.  At the half mile of the race he was fifth, and rallied back to fourth at the half way point.  At the six furlongs he was spent, and would trail off to finally finish fourteenth for owner Delta Farms.

Citizens Union got out of the gate well to be sixth at the opening quarter.  At the first half mile he was fourth.  As the field moved toward the half way point, he started to fade from here on out.  He would go on to finish fifteenth for owner Saratoga Stud.

As a writer of the SRF I would like to congratulate all the connections for all the entries that ran.  You should all be proud that you had the opportunity to run in such a great race.

Until next time this is Iwin signing off!

Categories: BC 2015-17, THE BREEDERS CUP