Tribhuvan Goes One Better in Manhattan

Runner-up to stablemate Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) when setting a lively tempo in last year's GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S., Tribhuvan (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}) was the recipient of a beautifully rated ride from Manny Franco and proved not for catching while besting fellow Chad Brown trainee Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) by 3 1/2 convincing lengths. Pace-compromised Gufo (Declaration of War), the 9-4 favorite, reprised his third-place finish from a year ago with a belated rally.

Tribhuvan, whose front-running chances were done no damage when the typically prominent Channel Maker (English Channel) stood in the gate and spotted the field a considerable head start, hit the ground running and was fastest under the line, as last-out GI Old Forester Turf Classic hero Santin (Distorted Humor) ranged up to attend whatever pace there was from second. Tribhuvan got the opening quarter in a hassle-free :24.78 and the opening four furlongs in a very manageable :49.65, with Santin just a length off him at that stage. Sensing his decided pace advantage, Franco moved decisively and aggressively aboard Tribhuvan, clicking him up with half the journey to traverse and, indeed, by the time they reached the four-furlong peg, the duo had opened up an imposing five-length bulge. Asked for a sprint a bit more than three-eighths of a mile from home, Tribhuvan led by about seven lengths into the stretch, clearly enjoying his spin around the inner turf course, and he sprinted his final quarter mile in :23.36 to seal the deal. Adhamo ralled up the fence for second, while Gufo made non-threatening headway to round out the triple.

“He had been training well and we were confident that if he got somewhat loose in this race, at least he would be in the picture late,” said trainer Chad Brown, winning the Manhattan for a remarkable and a record-extending ninth time in the last 11 years. “Manny [Franco] rode a great race and set an easy pace, but the key is he opened up. That's what you've got to do with this horse. You've got to bottom the horses behind you.”

The coast-to-coast winner of the 11-furlong GI United Nations S. last July, Tribhuvan was fifth to Gufo in the GI Sword Dancer Invitational S. at Saratoga Aug. 28 and closed the season with a well-beaten 13th in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in November. The bay made the early running in his seasonal debut in the aforementioned Turf Classic on Derby Day, but gave way readily over ground not every horse got through.

“This horse got an easy lead and just stopped,” summarized Brown. “He didn't like it at all. He nearly held off a great horse in Domestic Spending in this race last year going much quicker than that. He had been training well and we were confident that if he got somewhat loose in this race, at least he would be in the picture late.”

Pedigree Notes:

Tribhuvan is the only Northern Hemisphere Grade I winner for his stallion, who stands in France at Haras de Bouquetot and in the Southern Hemisphere at Adam Sangster's Swettenham Stud north of Melbourne in Australia. Toronado is the sire in that country of Group 1 winners Masked Crusader (Aus) and the rags-to-riches Shelby Sixtysix (Aus).

Tribhuvan is the best foal out of an unraced half-sister to French Group 3 winner and multiple U.S. stakes-placed Montclair (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), and French GSW & G1SP Macleya (Ger) (Winged Love {Ire}), the dam of Irish listed winner Saltonstall (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). This is also the family of French highweight and G1 Prix Ganay hero Mare Australis (Ire) (Australia {GB}).

Saturday, Belmont Park
RESORTS WORLD CASINO MANHATTAN S.-GI, $750,000, Belmont, 6-11, 4yo/up, 1 1/4mT, 1:59.54, fm.
1–TRIBHUVAN (FR), 122, g, 6, by Toronado (Ire)
                1st Dam: Mahendra (Ger), by Next Desert (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Minaccia (Ger), by Platini (Ger)
                3rd Dam: Maji (GB), by Shareef Dancer
(€30,000 Wlg '16 ARQDEC; €58,000 RNA Ylg '17 AROYRG).
O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables &
Michael J. Caruso; B-Jean Charles Haimet, Elza & Hannah Petit
(FR); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Manuel Franco. $400,000. Lifetime
Record: 23-6-3-3, $1,119,954. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Adhamo (Ire), 118, c, 4, Intello (Ger)–Foreign Tune (GB), by
Invincible Spirit (Ire). (€250,000 3yo '21 ARARC). O-Madaket
Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, & Louis Lazzinnaro LLC;
B-Wertheimer et Frere (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $140,000.
3–Gufo, 122, h, 5, Declaration of War–Floy, by Petionville.
O-Otter Bend Stables, LLC; B-John Little & Stephen Cainelli
(KY); T-Christophe Clement. $75,000.
Margins: 3HF, 1, NK. Odds: 19.10, 4.40, 2.25.
Also Ran: Highland Chief (Ire), Rockemperor (Ire), Santin, L'Imperator (Fr), In Love (Brz), Channel Maker, Tokyo Gold (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.