Sunday Night Belmont Notes - Sept 25

- Looking at the Belmont results for Sunday, there were a few interesting winners and losers. Wave the Baton debuted on the turf for Christophe Clement earlier this month at Saratoga and ran a nice close 4th at 13-1 in open company. In Sunday’s second, the 3 yo colt was .55-1 against NY-breds and overcame traffic in the stretch to draw away late. Wave the Baton is by Dixieland Band, out of Seducer, a stakes winning Housebuster mare who is also the dam of graded turf winner Seducer’s Song. Seducer is also a half-sister to the dam of Roman Ruler, who put in his final work for Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Another losing favored first-timer for Pletcher in the 5th, a 2 yo filly affair; A P Easy finished 5th at 2-1. She’s by A.P. Indy, by a stakes winning Easy Goer mare who is a half-sister to promising sire Vicar. A P Easy was just a slight favorite over winner Sweet Fervor, a relatively rare debut first-time winner for Bill Mott. Sweet Fervor (Seeking the Gold) is a half-sister to several stakes horses, most notably Concerto, the sire of Bellamy Road (and Sweet Fervor is also bred and owned by Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Farm). Two in a row for Mott/Bailey as British import Titian Time (Red Ransom) took the 6th as the 1.75-1 favorite.

The 9th was a 2 yo state-bred filly stake and it was bombs away with a superfecta payoff of over $66,611. This had to be one of the most unusual $66,611 superfectas of all time, as three out of the four horses had won their last race, and the other had run second in a restricted stake at Finger Lakes. No Reason was favored at 6-5 for Asmussen; she had won her debut by 11 at even money at the Spa and had an excuse when 5th at another FL NY-bred stake. But winner Artistic Expression (Western Expression) ($36.20) was coming off a nice debut win for Ramon Hernandez, off to a good start at Belmont. Place horse Fly to Me (12-1) was second to Classic Pack in the FL stake, and broke her maiden by 10 prior. Show horse Zippy Missy (32-1) won her maiden race easily at Saratoga; and 4th place finisher Curtana (48-1) was close finishing third and second at Belmont and Saratoga, and then won her last at the Spa.