By Alan Carasso
The scratching of Godolphin's morning-line favorite Legend of Time (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) deprived Saturday's GIII Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes of some of its luster, and Carson's Run (Cupid)–who was a strong winning chance Legend of Time or not–continued in his rich vein of form, rallying from sixth and last to lead home a 1-2 finish for the Christophe Clement stable over 'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic (Liam's Map).
Favored at 3-2 when all was said and done, the $170,000 OBS April breezer was taken back to the tail of the field by the in-form Dylan Davis and raced a fraction keen into the stretch for the first time as an even more headstrong Yo Daddy (Yoshida {Jpn}) was asked for speed by Jose Lezcano and opened up passing under the wire with a circuit to travel. Positions remained largely unchanged down the backstretch as Yo Daddy continued to bowl along while better settled, and the sprint went into the race entering the last of the three turns.
Davis sat against Carson's Run and asked his mount for his best with about 2 1/2 furlongs to race and was produced widest into the stretch. Accelerating sharply, the handsome chestnut overtook El Rezeen (English Channel), who wrested command between calls, and outbattled his rail-rallying stablemate Deterministic to the line.
“They both ran great,” said the winning conditioner. “One [Carson's Run] came from off the pace–the other, I told [Joel] Rosario, 'run him forward, if someone takes you on, stay in second or third. If not, make the lead.' Obviously, that horse of Linda [trainer Rice, Yo Daddy] wanted to be on the front, but they both ran well.”
Winner of last year's GI Summer Stakes and ninth when done no favors by a double-digit draw in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, Carson's Run proved easily best in the June 23 Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth before narrowly defeating Legend of Time in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Aug. 11. Wheeled back on 20 days' rest for the $2.3-million GIII Nashville Derby, Carson's Run made a long run from last that carried him past all rivals bar the classy Bellum Justum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
If either or both Carson's Run and Deterministic run again this season, it'll be in Southern California at the end–not the beginning–of next month.
“We don't need to decide that now,” the Frenchman said. “There's only one race on paper which is the [GI] Hollywood Derby [at Del Mar Nov. 30]. Let's see what happens the next few weeks and then we will give them a break and have a nice 4-year-old campaign.”
Pedigree Notes:
One of four graded winners for his sire and his lone elite-level scorer, Carson's Run is the lone foal to race from a half-sister to the durable three-time graded winner and Grade I-placed Rated R Superstar (Kodiak Kowboy) and a half to the dam of SW Steph'sfullasugar (Tapiture). The yearling relation to Carson's Run, a colt from the second crop of Volatile, was purchased by Brandon Rice for $100,000 at last month's Keeneland September Sale and Hot N Hectic foaled a Maxfield filly Jan. 24 prior to a date in the breeding shed with Flightline.
CARSON'S RUN gets it done in the Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational with @DavisJockey aboard for trainer @clementstable and owners @westpointtbred & @StevenBouchey! pic.twitter.com/4uXPc3Vw06
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) October 5, 2024
Saturday, Belmont The Big A
JOCKEY CLUB DERBY INVITATIONAL S.-GIII, $500,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-5, 3yo, 1 3/8mT, 2:14.22, fm.
1–CARSON'S RUN, 122, c, 3, by Cupid
1st Dam: Hot N Hectic, by Henny Hughes
2nd Dam: Wicked Wish, by Gold Case
3rd Dam: Holy Wish, by Lord At War (Arg)
($35,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $67,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL; $170,000
2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven
Bouchey; B-Frankfort Park Farm (KY); T-Christophe Clement;
J-Dylan Davis. $275,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 9-5-2-0,
$1,574,629. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Deterministic, 122, c, 3, Liam's Map–Giulio's Jewel,
by Speightstown. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($625,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP).
O-St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, C. Steven Duncker and
Vicarage Stable; B-Hinkle Farms (KY); T-Christophe Clement.
$100,000.
3–El Rezeen, 122, c, 3, English Channel–Karama, by Kitten's Joy.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Shadwell
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 1. Odds: 1.50, 3.00, 2.55.
Also Ran: Dashman, Desvio, Yo Daddy. Scratched: Legend of Time (GB).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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