Three Diamonds Farm's Anaconda secured his first career stakes win, rallying stoutly down the lane to capture Saturday's $150,000 Elusive Quality, a seven-furlong Widener turf sprint for older horses, at Belmont Park.
Trained by Joe Sharp and piloted from the inside post by Kendrick Carmouche, the 6-year-old Pioneerof the Nile horse overcame traffic trouble down the backstretch when steadied behind rivals along the rail. A patient Carmouche maintained his ground-saving position through the turn before angling off the rail at the top of the lane and wearning down his rivals for a narrow nose win as the 8-5 favorite.
“I was wanting to get out from behind Surprise Boss because I didn't think he would finish the race like I wanted him to [from the inside],” Carmouche said. “I wanted to get him out early, but that didn't happen, so I just had to stay in there and sit. Even at the quarter pole, I was in a little bit of trouble. I tried to get out and I motivated him from there. I knew I could get up in the last couple of jumps.”
Despite the narrow margin of victory, Carmouche said he felt confident once he had Anaconda in the clear.
“The horse just kept running and running. I always think I'll get there,” said Carmouche, with a laugh.
Heaven Street set splits of :23 flat and :46.58 over the firm footing as the Jose Gomez-piloted Yes and Yes tracked from second position with Surprise Boss in third to the inside of High Oak.
Yes and Yes had the measure of Heaven Street as the field straightened away, but there was no turning back the onrushing Anaconda, who stopped the clock in 1:21.94. Yes and Yes finished 1 3/4-lengths in front of third-place Heaven Street with Thin White Duke, Surprise Boss, Lucky Curlin, Voodoo Zip, High Oak and Ocala Dream rounding out the order of finish.
Anaconda joined the Sharp barn last summer at Saratoga and has since hit the board in 6-of-9 starts, including a narrow nose defeat last out to Big Everest in the one-mile Danger's Hour on April 15 over firm going at Aqueduct Racetrack. The $150,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale had previously finished a close second in November in the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship.
Sharp assistant Lorita Lindemann said Anaconda arrived at the Elusive Quality in good order.
“He's been training like he does all the time – like a good horse,” Lindemann said. “It's a blessing to win; it's very good and the team needed it right now. We got him last year and had some issues, but he overcame them.”
The David Donk-trained Yes and Yes, a five-time winner over the Belmont turf, was making his second start off the layoff from a fourth-place finish in an optional-claiming sprint on April 13 over the Big A grass.
Gomez said he had no excuses following the game effort from the 7-year-old Sidney's Candy gelding, whose half-brother, the fellow Donk-trainee Thin White Duke, finished fourth.
“He ran great and that's just how it goes. I had a great trip and he loves Belmont,” Gomez said. “He was [running] nice on the outside and when I asked him to run, he responded well.”
Bred in Kentucky by Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton, Silver Fern Farm and WinStar Farm, Anaconda was produced by the Medaglia d'Oro mare Lawn Party. He banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 16-5-2-2. He returned $5.50 for a $2 win bet.
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