TDN RISING STARS

June 9, 2017 - Belmont Park, Race 4, Msw, USD $85,000, 7F

Emancipation, c, 3, 2014 by Malibu Moon

1st Dam: Lady Liberty, by Unbridled
2nd Dam: Mesabi Maiden, by Cox's Ridge
3rd Dam: Steel Maiden, by Damascus

Owner: Stuart S. Janney III LLC & Phipps Stable
Breeder: Stuart S. Janney III LLC & Phipps Stable
Trainer: Claude R. McGaughey III

Emancipation (Malibu Moon), a full-brother to none other than 2013 GI Kentucky Derby winner and promising first-crop sire Orb ($2,612,516), came with a stinging late rally down the center of the Belmont main track and raced past favored Marshall Plan (Speightstown) to cause a 29-1 upset in Friday’s fourth race at Belmont Park. Drawn widest in this field of 12, Emancipation was one of the first to break the line, but drifted back through the field to lope along from second-last through the opening exchanges. Busily ridden on the turn by Jose Ortiz, Emancipation was swung out widest entering the stretch, but still had the better part of 10 lengths to make up on the front-running Marshall Plan. But the homebred colt went through his gears once swapping over to his correct lead about a furlong and a half from the wire and roared past Marshall Plan for a good-looking victory. Heavily bet firster Mr Classical (Bernardini) took some time to find his best stride and weaved his way through between rivals to finish a running-on third. The winner’s second dam was victorious in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. in 1996, while his SW & GSP third dam Steel Maiden (Damascus) was a half-sister to GISW Private Terms. Lady Liberty, who died earlier this year, is the dam of Orb and Emancipation’s 2-year-old fill-brother Personal Time and she produced a colt by Honor Code Feb. 22.