The Metropolitan Handicap (Grade 1)- $1,200.000 Purse
BEL- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Dirt
June 6, 2020

The Metropolitan Handicap was seen as a wide open race, as the post time favorite, Splash Mountain, would still have odds of approximately 6/1. He would have the best resume heading into the race, but the weight handicap that he had to endure would be an issue, and had many shy away from him as well. So Profound did not seem as though he was about to run a big one here, but it goes to show that you never know what may happen. His prior two starts were disappointing, though the race before that was a graded win. Perhaps, he would look to change up his tactic, or maybe he would just keep on doing what he has been doing. For trainer Asgar, there was no reason to change anything at all as So Profound would go near the back of the field. Perhaps, this was slightly different, because despite being near the back, he was not as far off the leaders as his prior two races had been. That would prove to be all he would need as he flourished in the stretch to get up for the win, the first for trainer Asgar in the stake. The race also represents the first Grade 1 for him. Congratulations on that! The winning trainer is D E Centeno, also his first win. The race was run in a time of 1:33.99, a middle of the road winning time for the Metropolitan. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :23.08)- Two horses from the outside would start the quickest here, with Nolespan Racing’s Mintmach prevailing in the opening run to the front with Rousee’s Saturday Khartoun, a horse that was looking to continue his winning ways in races that I cover. They would lead a group of four stalkers by a length as we moved down the back stretch. From inside to outside, those stalkers keeping a good position for themselves were Iron Cross (Fractious), Devilish Details (Mb Stables), Splash Mountain (Smokey Stover), and Broken Tap (Arindel). It was another length to Royal Eclipse (Chili King Stables), who would do his running in the fifth lane. In the middle of the field, we would have Gifted Man (Spankys Barn) and our pick to win, Gran Z (Maxmillion Farm). Just to the outside of them was our eventual winner, So Profound, out of Asgar. He ran tenth at this time and ran in the sixth lane while being four and a half lengths from the front. A similar distance to the leader, but running on the rail would be Sacred Brave (Aml Racing). The trailers were Serengeti Sands (TwinTowersRacing), Phooeys Queen Blue (Aer Stables), and In Captivity (Mb Stables).

(½ Mile- :46.42)- There is not much change in the second quarter of the race as the field completes the backstretch portion and begins the run around the turn. Mintmach and Saturday Khartoum continued to battle one another at the front, but neither were killing themselves in the process with the pace of the race. Broken Tap was starting to creep forward just a little bit now from that previous group of four stalkers. Also, it was beginning to look like Iron Cross, who was another one of those four, would not be able to keep up any longer. Devilish Details and Splash Mountain were having no problems maintaining their position. Royal Eclipse, Gifted Man, and Gran Z would all do the same. As for So Profound, there was no move forward yet. He still ran tenth, and about five lengths from the lead but was able to move over just a little bit to not be as wide as he had been in the backstretch. This also enabled him to have good position to use the money lane if had the legs underneath him to do so. There was no change from those who were running behind him.

(Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Saturday Khartoum takes the lead from Mintmach as they move around the turn, and seemed to be in a good position for his run in the stretch, but he still would have plenty of work to do. Broken Tap continued to move forward in a very gradual and deliberate manner along his outside and was now pulling up level to him. However, there was a bigger threat looming for both of them and that was So Profound. The money lane for him, simply worked wonders. In the turn, he made the rest of the field look like they were out for a slow gallop, using the outside, and swinging out just a little bit to make his charge. By the time they hit the top of the stretch, that almost five length deficit that he had was shrunk down to merely a length. To put his push in perspective, Royal Eclipse also looked to make a move on the outside and was a length ahead of time, and he would pass Royal Eclipse even with that one advancing as well, and now be a length ahead of that one by the exit of the turn. Others in the field were tightly wound together, but all eyes were on So Profound now.

(Finish- 1:33.99)- Once in the stretch, So Profound ended up being quite wide and ran in the middle of the track, but this would not matter. He continued his drive forward, and would run strong all the way to the wire, winning the race by a length and a half. Broken Tap did quite well in the stretch himself, he was just no match for So Profound, but settles for a second place finish that was also a length ahead of the rest of the field. Saturday Khartoum tired as they got closer to the finish, but the wire came up just in time for him to still be third over Devilish Details. Royal Eclipse and Splash Mountain were close to them as well. Behind them, it would be Gifted Man, Gran Z, Sacred Brave, Serengeti Sands, Phooeys Queen Blue, Iron Cross, Mintmach, and In Captivity. In sad news, we have been told that Phooeys Queen Blue was put down after the race.

About The Winner– So Profound, trained by Asgar, and ridden to victory by D E Centeno, is a four year old colt by Profound Connection, and is out of Preparations. He was bred in Ontario by Mb Stables as a third quarter two year old, and acquired by Asgar when he was still unraced in the December 2018 auction for just $5.060. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his fifth in 11 starts, his third stake win, and second graded win. His career earnings are now $946.540.

Track: Fast
Time: :23   :46²  1:09⁴  1:33⁴

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 8 – 5 Paid 243.70
$1 Trifecta: 8 – 5 – 13 Paid 1,526.70

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES