The BEL Derby Invitational (Grade 1)- $1,000.000 Purse
BEL- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Quarter on the Inner Turf
July 10, 2021

The BEL Derby Invitational is one of the most anticipated turf events of the summer, and it has a storied history. In the past, we have seen the likes of Jagged Account, Ashkalani, and Clockwork Chai get the win here among many others who were every bit as talented. The king of this turf race has been Mb Stables, who has won it four times in the last six years. He’ll have three of the fourteen that will run in this race, as he looks for his fifth such win. Last year, it was Immoral that picked up the win, a horse that was just seen here last week in the Suburban in what was an unusual trip to the main track. Looking at this field, there is not that one horse that really stands out to me as being the favorite, so there is plenty of reason to be excited as this is a wide open race for a large purse. Let’s enjoy it, and meet those heading to the gate.

#1- Promised Prince (John Henry, ridden by S R Bahen)- Picked up by the trainer in private sales for $107.000 from Patterson Stables, and John Henry has gotten his money’s worth. He might not have said that before his two races, but Promised Prince has adjusted well to moving to route races on the grass, and is 2-for-2 now in them. The second of which came in the PEN Mile (Grade 2) on yielding turf. He does like it wet, and while Saturday leans dry, if the virtual tropical storm slows down, you never know.

#2- Devil Made Me Doit (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by J K Court)- If there is a horse in this field that I would lean towards making the headliner, it would be Devil Made Me Doit. He’s proven on the grass, moreso than the more well known Evergreen, and has won three of the last four. Looked good in winning the Grade 2 American Turf at CD on KYD day, and you have to think that it is just a matter of time for a trainer known for turf success like Maxmillion to finally get his name on the winnerboard of this race.

#3- Dreams Of Men (Serenity Stables, ridden by S Ryan)- The horse that showed up for the Grade 3 MTH Stakes will need to be back this Saturday, or a win here will be just a dream for the trainer. Dreams of Men was third in that race, but his two races before that were double digit finishes where he was beaten by at least five lengths. I don’t know if I can trust this one yet.

#4- Manchild (Arindel, ridden by Mar Garcia)- He has been mostly racing at a mile on the grass, so hopefully Manchild is ready to grow up and add a quarter mile to that. We’ve mostly seen him in ungraded stakes, and while he usually represents himself well in them, nothing really stands out at you, either. If this is just a case of wanting more distance, then he is going to get a chance to shine right now!

#5- Nevada Silver (Nakamura Stables, ridden by V R Carrasco)- Once again, the trainer summons Carrasco to ride one of his horses (yes, I have picked up on this trend). Nevada Silver is lightly raced, making just the sixth start of his career, and it will be the second after being gelded. Six weeks ago, he ran on the yielding turf on the track Carrasco has recently become familiar with, and was third in the PEN Mile. I think he’ll like running longer, but that is still a question mark with him.

#6- Afterburner (Arindel, ridden by E T Baird)- Had a big win on the KYD trail in taking the Remson, but afterwards, Afterburner struggled. This included the KYD itself where he was able to beat Evergreen, but then only beat one of the other horses. Two weeks later, instead of the PRK at PIM, Afterburner raced in the Grade 2 Dixie for his turf debut, and finished third. That was a good move for him, and he showed it was not a fluke by running fourth in the MTH Stakes. Is he just getting it into top gear right now? Interesting one to watch.

#7- Broad Brush (Mb Stables, ridden by Ru Gonzalez)- He will be making his graded debut here in the BEL Derby, and it is quite a step up from the $100.000 Cinema Stakes that he was last in. He did win that race, and the statebred allowance that was right before, so he is ready to come east and show that he will not be star struck in running against bigger names. Not my preference of the three from Mb, however.

#8- Breath Of The Wild (Smokey Stover, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This is one of those horses that I feel I write a preview about on a monthly basis. The last time he won was the Sleepy Hollow on this race track in late October, but when you want to be a TC hopeful, that is not exactly a good thing. He showed flashes of potential during the prep race season, but could not put consistency together. Makes his turf debut here, and works seem promising coming into it.

#9- Darth Charley (Diablo Diablo, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- After watching this one run in the KYD and the BEL, we might need the reminder that he was initially showing a lot of promise on the grass. As a two year old, he was able to participate in the BC Turf Sprint, and even though it did not go well, at least he was there. He recovered well, but moved to the main track for the LA Derby, where he was second. That got him in the KYD, but his finishes in each of the TC races were poor, making this a great spot for him to bounce back into.

#10- Evergreen (Mb Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- He had a fantastic prep race season, even finishing in a dead heat with Howl Of The Hound in the Risen Star before winning the LA Derby a month later. Seemed to be destined for big things in the KYD, and I even made him my pick to win the race. Surprisingly, he was a no show that day, and his fourth place in the Grade 1 Stephens here last month was okay, but many thought he’d do better. So now, it’s the grass, and he has history here. Made two starts on the turf, a win in the Summer Stakes, and a sixth in the BC Juvenile Turf. Is Evergreen really meant for the green?

#11- Cobra Man (Arindel, ridden by D Davis)- The third in the race for Arindel, and Cobra Man has been a consistent one for his career. In nine starts, he has five wins and two more second place finishes with no win being bigger than his last start, the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge. That came on yielding turf, but it was nice to see how he finished that race, and that should bode well for him to get the tenth furlong here. As long as the American Turf is a throw out, he should be expected to be in the mix in this one.

#12- Found Peace (Mb Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- This one had a strong two year old season, and that would eventually see him finish second in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint. That was the last time he did sprint, but he would also find peace and glory in going longer, adapting well to running a mile, then a little longer than that. His signature win to this point is the Grade 3 Transylvania at KEE from Apri, beating each of the two horses starting on both sides of him here.

#13- Jakarta (Fractious, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- He’s seen big purchase prices in private sales twice, and been a regular runner in graded stakes since breaking his maiden. Now, Jakarta is going to have to show that he can do more than have big sales tags and an occasional in the money finish. As long as someone can have the patience with him, he has shown that he can run well, such as in his third place American Turf showing, but he still is looking for his second win, and I’m not expecting that to happen here.

#14- High Planker (Smokey Stover, ridden by T Gaffalione)- On the outside, this horse will be making just the sixth start of his career, and the second since late April. That was a win, coming in the Grade 3 SF Mile, and if you look back a little further, you will see that he has always run well. The trainer is in a position where he can pick his spots here, and High Planker is well rested. Works don’t necessarily jump out at you when comparing to the others in the field.

Prediction: 2-9-10-11

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES