The BEL – Grade I

1 1/4 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $2,000.000 Open 3 Year Olds.

1st Extreme Jet Mb Stables Velazquez J R

I guess the question we will all be asking as this brilliant son of Con Will Con stormed home late for a last gasp win in his second triple crown race is what happened in the Preakness? In both his wins in the KYD and the BEL he came from way back but in The Preakness off a similar pace he was much closer to the speed and faded when he normally finds another gear. Whatever happened that day, either a change of tactics or just a track and programming thing he didn’t fire, and we are left wondering whether we have just seen the best hope of the first triple crown winner at HRP miss like two of his predecessors have in the past.
Today he found the outside motorway down the stretch to power home unimpeded to grab a head win in a real thriller. All the work was done in the final turn by Valazquez getting him into position to launch the finish we all know he has.
As for the trainer, what can we say. This is the second time they have won two of the three legs with the same horse, and it really must be only a matter of time before that final achievement, the pinnacle of racing goes to this GOAT of HRP.
The horse, well, where from here? Bred by Arkansas Elite out of a maiden racer and by a maiden racer, his genes are all there in the second and third lines and Nakamura Stables will consider the $1.000 he paid for the sire to be a real bargain now! He was sold for $200.000 after a debut win to Fractious and then after capturing the grade one Hopeful and finishing fourth in the BC Juvenile was re sold by that stable when they left the first time for $800.000 to Mb Stables.
He is a very good worker and that has shone through in his races where he has shown the ability to come from behind or make the running as he did in the Remsen at the end of last year. The older horses will be quaking at the thought of giving him weight come the BC.

2nd Without Warning TwinTowersRacing Geroux F

You have to admire the tenacity this son of Neon Wolf showed as he raced up on speed and just kept giving all the way to the line. I do wonder if Extreme Jet had been next to him whether he would have battled back to him too, but they were wide apart and Without Warning just missed holding on. He certainly benefited for the rest after getting a bit lost in the wet in the KYD and the trainer will be very proud of his home-bred after this game effort.

3rd Credit Crime Aer Stables Ortiz I Jr

Well, if we wanted the show down between the KYO winner and the KYD winner then we certainly got it as this brilliant filly ran the race of her life to end up third beaten just a neck. Getting well back off the pace as usual, she chose to go through the field rather than round them but at the end of the day had her chance to win in the final half furlong and just found the boys too strong. In fairness to her, she spent a long time going sideways to find the gaps and it looked like she never would, but she launched her finish and looked to have timed it just right only to falter in the final strides.
We mustn’t forget this filly in only 15.1hh and running against the boys was always going to be a tall order but she gave us the race of the year so far and didn’t let anyone down.

4th Boss Spearman John Henry Franco M

Second in the KYD, sixth in the Preakness and now fourth in the BEL this son of Power, bred by Panionios Racing which was recently acquired by John Henry is just about as honest as they come. Every year we seem to find one that runs well in all three TC races without getting the win and they usually go on to find some good races down the line but maybe in his seventh start of the year this one has earned a little rest for now.

5th Obi Wan Mb Stables Lopez P

The wide gate speed push worked as predicted and the front runner went to work setting the perfect pace for his stable companion and for a long time looked like he may have snuck away. Another brought into the stable for a big price, he was bought from Allinthegate for $500.000 after an average effort in the Southwest but hasn’t looked back since being in the champion’s yard. He did everything right today and was only beaten a length after leading for much of the race and I would imagine a race like the BC Dirt Mile will be nicely on his radar.

6th Gold State Mb Stables Prat F

Got well behind and found some traffic, so this effort to finish into sixth was pretty noteworthy. Still fairly lightly raced, he was picked up from Smokey Stover for just $8.000 and if I had to pick a horse to follow from this race it would be him.

7th Losing Hazard Asgar Centeno D E

Ran at very long odds after a terrible race in the Preakness but got back to his best today with a game effort. Chasing the leader, he kept on really well to be right in the finish and only went down by just over a length in the end. I have no idea what went wrong his two previous starts, but the trainer has clearly figured it out and he looks like he has a good season ahead of him.

8th= Clever D J C Racing Stables Corrales G

His second in the Preakness was a best lifetime effort and he backed that up today with another fine run. Ending up eighth, he really wasn’t beaten far and there are almost certainly some good wins to be had if his sights are lowered to just below the top rank.

8th= No Real Drama Asgar Silvera Ru

The Preakness winner like Clever was coming off of a lifetime best and certainly lost nothing in defeat here. He just couldn’t find the front when he needed to like he did in the Preakness and as he can be a little one paced when it comes to a turn of foot he couldn’t live with the best of them today. The draw may not have helped him and at only 15.1hh, 126Lbs was a big burden to carry twice in quick succession. He will be back and looks to have a bright future.

10th Alydar D J C Racing Stables Curtis B

Came from a fair way back to be tenth but was only beaten just over a length in a rather typical HRP finish. He once again proved he is very good but deserves some wins to his name so may need to go down a grade to find them.

11th Fighter Ship Grimley Zayas E J

He was a brilliant third in the KYD and was actually beaten less far today by Extreme Jet but could only run 11th, such is life at HRP ay. Lightly raced there will be more to come from him and his late finishing style.

12th Point Given Alydar Stables Smith M E

The trainer could do no wrong early in the year but there has certainly been a “leveling” out of success taking place recently and both their horses couldn’t get involved today.

13th Red Font John Henry Pennington F

A pretty disappointing effort after a good third in the Preakness. I am sure the trainer will get him home and go to work on him to find a pathway to success.

14th In Good Order Acber Farms Gutierrez Mario

Ran a similar race as he did in the KYD and like a few here he has found out how hard it is to run a closing style in a big field like this.

15th Decal Williams9 Bridgmohan S X

Up on the speed but faded, he may have earned a rest and a re-think.

16th Daemon Alydar Stables Lezcano J

If there is a horse that has me scratching my head at the moment it is this one. The brilliant winner of the BC Juvenile, three-time grade one winner and the winner of three TC qualifiers from three attempts it beggars belief to see his two runs in the KYD and The BEL. You can’t blame the draw as he had two opposite draws, you cant blame the track as one was on wet and one was on dry, the jockey won the BC on him, so what was it that caused this horse to fall so spectacularly out of form. For what its worth, and it isn’t much, I think he is more of a long sprinter/miler but having taken the FL Derby over nine furlongs, I get that that is a weak argument.

Categories: FEATURED STORIES, Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES, TC 2025, THE TRIPLE CROWN