The speedy A Thread of Blue got to his preferred spot, loose on the lead, and kept on going to pull a 13-1 upset under Luis Saez in the inaugural $1-million Saratoga Derby Sunday at the Spa.
Graduating at third asking in a Belmont off-the-turfer last October, the $430,000 OBS March buy was third in the Awad S. on grass Nov. 4 at Aqueduct before reeling off three consecutive victories over the Gulfstream green, including scores in the GIII Palm Beach S. and Dania Beach S. Nailed late when second in the GII American Turf S. May 4 at Churchill, the dark bay was last seen retreating to fourth as the favorite after chasing a quick pace in the GII Penn Mile S. June 1 at Penn National.
Stretching out beyond 8 1/2 furlongs for the first time in this 1 3/16-mile second leg of NYRA's newly-created Turf Trinity series, A Thread of Blue broke typically smartly and took charge past the wire for the first time with minimal prodding from Saez. Dictating terms in the clear through reasonable fractions of :23.62 and :48.54 over the firm turf, he remained in hand while throwing down a three-quarter split in an untested 1:12.32.
Arriving at the top of the stretch in control, he was soon set upon by the tandem of Digital Age on the far outside and GI Belmont Derby runner-up Social Paranoia (Street Boss) between rivals, but dug in and found a finishing punch in the final sixteenth to hold firm over the former foe, hitting the wire a comfortable length to the good under a jubilant Saez. Cape of Good Hope (Ire), one of two Aidan O'Brien raiders for the Coolmore contingent, juiced the trifecta at 25-1, while Social Paranoia flattened out to be fourth.
“[An] uncontested lead is big, and he's a very talented horse,” said winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “He likes it firm, obviously, winning three in Florida. He doesn't like to ship that well, but he ran great at Churchill. [The] Penn [Mile] just didn't go well. We gave him a little more time going into this, but he's been training unbelievable and it just worked out great. We talked about three different races in eight days: the Hall of Fame, the Secretariat, and this race. We just kept landing back on this race, after talking to [owner Len] Green and his son, Jonathan. We didn't have to go anywhere and we might get an easier lead going further.”
As for whether A Thread of Blue will continue to stretch out in the last leg of the Turf Trinity, the 1 1/2-mile Jockey Club Derby Invitational Sept. 7 at Belmont, McLaughlin said, “We might have to talk about a mile and a half, but we got this one. We're happy with this.”
Saez, who was winning his third seven-figure race of the year after Maximum Security (New Year's Day)'s wins in the GI Xpressbet Florida Derby and GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational, added, “In a big race, you never know, but we were lucky that it was pretty easy up front. When we came into the stretch, I knew I had plenty of horse. I saw them coming, but he responded pretty well. It was easy for him today.”
Pedigree Notes:
A Thread of Blue, one of 71 stakes winners and 36 graded stakes winners for Hard Spun, is the second black-type winner out of 21-year-old dam Enthused, herself a two-time Group heroine in England. He was preceded by Irish GSW Norman Invader. Enthused, out of G1 Coronation S. victress Magic of Life, is a half to the dam of five-time South African G1SW Inara (SAf) (Trippi), while her second dam Larida was a three-time GSW and GISP. She is responsible for a juvenile Union Rags colt named Fused, a yearling Temple City filly and a colt of this term by Karakontie (Jpn).
SARATOGA DERBY INVITATIONAL S., $1,000,000, Saratoga, 8-4, 3yo, 1 3/16mT, 1:52.02, fm.
1–A THREAD OF BLUE, 122, c, 3, by Hard Spun
1st Dam: Enthused, by Seeking the Gold
2nd Dam: Magic of Life, by Seattle Slew
3rd Dam: Larida, by Northern Dancer
($150,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP; $430,000 2yo '18 OBSMAR).
O-Leonard C. Green; B-Flaxman Holdings Limited (KY); T-Kiaran
McLaughlin; J-Luis Saez. $535,000. Lifetime Record: GSW,
10-5-2-1, $879,290. *1/2 to Ea (Dynaformer), GSP, $598,471;
Norman Invader (War Chant), GSW-Ire, GSP-Fr, $593,079;
Galvanize (Medaglia d'Oro), SP-UAE, $205,511.
2–Digital Age (Ire), 122, c, 3, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Willow View,
by Lemon Drop Kid. (325,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Klaravich
Stables, Inc.; B-Merry Fox Stud Limited (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown.
$185,000.
3–Cape of Good Hope (Ire), 122, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Hveger
(Aus), by Danehill. (240,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Michael B.
Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier & Derrick Smith; B-Hveger
Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan P. O'Brien. $100,000.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 13.20, 4.60, 25.75.
Also Ran: Social Paranoia, Henley's Joy, Rockemperor (Ire), Kadar, Mohawk (Ire), Flying Scotsman, Seismic Wave, Eons.
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