European shippers swept Saturday’s Grade 1 events at Saratoga Race Course with Title Role taking the $750,000 Belmont Derby and Kensington Lane dominating the $600,000 Belmont Oaks.
Will Stroud and Coolmore partners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Title Role, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, exited post 9-of-10 in the nine-furlong Mellon turf route and was in a tussle into the first turn with Touch of Fire and West End Kid with the former showing the way through splits of 23.65 seconds, 49.20 and 1:13.15 over the firm footing.
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Hall of Famer Velazquez gave Title Role his cue approaching the quarter-pole and was in front at the head of the lane, powering gamely to the wire to stave off the late lunge of West End Kid to notch a nose victory in a final time of 1:47.55. The winning effort earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure.
The win completed a banner day for Stroud, who also celebrated Kensington Road’s score in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks through an interest in co-owner Medallion Racing. [For more about Stroud and his recent successes, see Friday’s NYRA notes package.]
“When I got in this game I said that the hardest thing to do would be to win a Grade 1 at Saratoga. To get two on the same day on the Fourth of July, I’ll take it. What a great way to start the meet,” said Stroud, who watched the race on TV from the nation’s capital where he was enjoying festivities surrounding America’s 250th birthday celebration.
First G1 for Title Role
The victory marked a first Grade 1 win for Title Role, who had captured the Jumeirah Two Thousand Guineas under Ryan Moore in February at Meydan Racecourse and arrived from a 1 1/4-length win in the Group 2 German Two Thousand Guineas on May 25 at Cologne with Sean Levey aboard.
Les Reynolds, traveling assistant for the Crisfords, said Moore had indicated Title Role would appreciate stateside racing.
“Ryan Moore called it. He said this was the place for him and that was the race for him,” Reynolds said. “He’s a nice short-coupled horse, very versatile and he’ll get around the bends. It really suits him here. He’s just going to get better.
“From draw nine, Johnny V gave him a great ride,” Reynolds added. “For a stride there, when he was getting a bit squeezed [in the first turn], I thought he might get too keen but they didn’t go mad, they slowed it up and he gave him a great ride. In the straight, he stuck his head out and just ran. He has a massive heart. He’s a perfect little racehorse.”
Winner Points to Saratoga Derby
Ed Crisford indicated post race that Title Role was likely to remain stateside, with one potential target being the Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby presented by Qatar Racing at 1 3/16-miles on August 8.
Stroud confirmed Sunday that the Saratoga Derby is the goal with the Crisfords to stay on as trainers.
“I believe we’ll target the Saratoga Derby. We’ll stay with the Crisfords through that race,” Stroud said. “The more winners we can get at Saratoga the better.”
Reynolds said Title Role exited his Grade 1 coup in good order.
“We’re very happy with him. He ate everything, seems fine, legs are tight. He’s full of it, he’s bright,” Reynolds said. “He ran so hard yesterday as well and all week he just grew. He’s not a very big guy, but just in his character. I think he’s going to thrive out here.”
Paul Holley, exercise rider and assistant to the Crisfords, will stay on with Title Role for the time being in New York.
“He traveled over really well, took it well and he hasn’t left his pot all week. He’s eaten everything we’ve given him. He’s just thrived all the way through, really. He just took everything in his stride,” Holley said.
Holley credited Title Role for fighting on bravely in his first start beyond one mile.
“They went hard early. He’s done it the hard way really, but he’s got a big heart and he’s tough. It got a bit tight towards the end there. I thought we’d got beaten on the line, but the result was right in the end,” Holley said, with a laugh.
Bred in Great Britain by Hascombe and Valiant Stud, Title Role is out of the Grade 3-winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Valiant Girl and sold for $694,673 at last year’s Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale. He has banked $727,945 through an 8-5-1-1 ledger.
Kensington Lane Wins Belmont Oaks
Agave Racing, Medallion Racing and Evan Trommer’s Kensington Lane made her U.S. debut a winning one with a prominent victory in the Belmont Oaks.
Trained by Donnacha O’Brien and piloted by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, Kensington Lane broke alertly but allowed slow-starting familiar foe Abishiri to rush up and mark the opening quarter-mile in 23.47 seconds over the firm inner turf. Kensington Lane was soon back in front, making the half-mile in 48.82 and three-quarters in 1:13.17, opening up a 3 1/2-length advantage at the stretch call and won geared down in a final time of 1:47.77. The winning effort earned a 92 Beyer.
It was fitting that the chestnut daughter of Starspangledbanner made her American debut a winning one on Independence Day, avenging a fifth-place finish in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas in May at The Curragh in which the Charlie Appleby-trained Abashiri finished third.
Kensington Lane, winner of the Group 3 Athasi on May 4 at The Curragh, appeared to relish the two-turns at Saratoga after two previous runs on the straight in Ireland.
Kieran Murphy, traveling assistant to O’Brien, said he was pleased with the result.
“She’s quality. She has a big heart,” Murphy said. “She’s good from the gate and she appreciates that quick ground. She’s nimble and a very well-balanced filly around those two turns. She’s a proper Grade 1 filly.”
Murphy said Kensington Lane was in good order Sunday morning.
“She’s perfect,” Murphy said. “She came out of it very well, ate all her food and drank loads of water. We weighed her and she’s lost almost no weight. She did it all very easy.
“Always happy to come to Saratoga,” Murphy added. “We’re so well looked after and they always make you feel very welcome.”
Medallion Racing’s Phillip Shelton said by phone on Sunday that he was thrilled with the result.
“She went her last three furlongs in 34 and change and Joel barely raised the stick,” Shelton said. “He squeezed her a little bit in mid-stretch and gave her two pumps of his arms and that was basically it. They don’t win Grade 1s often as easily as she did yesterday.”
Filly Could Head to Del Mar Oaks
Shelton said the team now has the enviable problem of figuring out what’s next for Kensington Lane. Options in the U.S. include the nine-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on August 22 or the Grade 3, $2 million [$1 million KTDF] Dueling Grounds Oaks at 1 5/16-miles on September 9. Last year, Fionn completed the Belmont Oaks/Dueling Grounds Oaks double en route to a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. The latter race a route Shelton would consider for Kensington Lane as a bridge to the Breeders’ Cup.
Should Kensington Lane return to Europe, possible targets are the Group 1, €400,000 Coolmore Matron for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at a one-turn mile on September 12 at Leopardstown or the Group 1, €400,000 Romanet at 10 furlongs on August 23 at Deauville.
“There’s a flight back to Ireland on the 11th and a flight to California on the 11th and she’ll likely be on one of the two, which one we haven’t decided yet,” Shelton said. “Had we not won, she would have 100 percent been going to Del Mar. Now that she’s won, there’s the Romanet at 10 furlongs and the Matron at Leopardstown.
“We could look at the Kentucky Downs race as well,” Shelton added. “We don’t have to chase the Grade 1 as much, at least in America.”
Kensington Lane, bred in Ireland by Almost Always Partnership, is out of the Galileo mare Almost Always, and her second dam is Ramruma, winner of the Group 1 Epsom Oaks, Group 1 Irish Oaks and Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks in 1999.
“The second dam won three Group 1s over 12 furlongs. We feel like there’s plenty of stamina in her pedigree to help her stay further,” Shelton said. “There is some appeal for the Romanet over 10 furlongs. It’s a flatter track at Deauville and the earlier you run in the summer, the better chance you have of getting the firmer ground.”
The pending decision will also impact who will train the talented filly moving forward.
“If she goes home, she’ll go back to Donnacha. We’ve had a lot of luck with Donnacha with Porta Fortuna and Balantina, who won the Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Fillies Turf] last year. We’ve got 10 other horses in training with Donnacha and we’re a big supporter of Phil D’Amato on the West Coast as is our partner Agave Racing,” Shelton said.
Kensington Lane has banked $411,281 via a 10-3-2-0 ledger.
