Up To The Mark Posts Towering Victory in Manhattan

Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's Up To the Mark (Not This Time) consolidated his position at the top of the American turf division with a second straight dominating performance at the top level in Saturday's GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. at Belmont Park.

Made the 8-5 chalk on the strength of a much-the-best victory in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs May 6, the $450,000 Keeneland September graduate was away in good order and landed just ahead of centerfield as longshot Strong Quality (Quality Road) set out at a quick early tempo in advance of Ocean Atlantique (American Pharoah). Put to sleep through the middle furlongs by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and tracking from fourth through an opening half-mile in :47.74, Up To the Mark bided his time around the second turn, was given his cue in upper stretch and blew the race open from there, running out a facile winner. Soldier Rising (GB) (Frankel {GB}) outfinished GII Fort Marcy S. hero Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for second.

“He got into a perfect position and was settled,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of the winner, who was racing over 10 furlongs for the first time. “We saw a few horses that we anticipated would be the pacesetters. He fell into a nice rhythm. He was just waiting on Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] to cue him when to go. He handled the mile and a quarter. He did remarkably well.”

Up To the Mark was a debut winner in the Saratoga slop in his belated career debut last July and was subsequently a big-figure third in allowance company going a mile, but was unplaced in three subsequent tries on the dirt, including a fourth at Aqueduct in December. The 12-1 winner of his turf debut at Gulfstream Jan. 28, he cleared his next allowance condition Mar. 4 and was a good third while trying stakes company for the first time in the GI Maker's Mark Mile Apr. 14. Sent off the 5-2 favorite last time, he turned in a similarly flashy rally through the stretch to score by open lengths.

Having passed the distance test Saturday, Pletcher is plotting an ambitious course for Up To the Mark.

“He gives me the impression that he'll handle a little more ground,” he said. “I don't know what we'll do from here. When you're thinking Breeders' Cup, he's probably the type of horse where you could go in two different directions. We probably need a little experience at a mile and a half to know [which]. We also have the [GI] Arlington Million [Aug. 12 at Colonial Downs] at a mile and a quarter. We'll enjoy this for the moment and come up with a strategy.”

Pedigree Notes:

Up To the Mark is one of five Grade I winners for his sire and is out of an unraced daughter of Robert and Lawana Lows' 1996 GI Test S. winner Capote Belle, who also produced SW & GSP Zapper Belle (Ghostzapper) and Gata Bella (Storm Cat), the dam of MGSW/MGISP Catapult (Kitten's Joy) and SW Ha Ha Tonka (Distorted Humor).

The 9-year-old Belle's Finale, who was purchased by Ramspring Farm carrying a year-older full-brother to Up To the Mark for $70,000 at Keeneland November in 2017, is also the dam of the 3-year-old filly Cookie Crumbs (Mendelssohn), a 2-year-old West Coast filly, a yearling colt by McKinzie and a Maxfield colt foaled Apr. 12.