Agate Road provided Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. with their third straight collaborative score in Wednesday's Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes when making a sweeping wide move in the stretch to capture the 45th running of the 1 1/16-mile test for juveniles over Aqueduct's outer turf at the Belmont at the Big A meet in South Ozone Park, N.Y.
Pletcher and Ortiz Jr. found previous Pilgrim success with Annapolis [2021] and Major Dude [2022]. In capturing the Pilgrim, a “Win And You're In” event, Agate Road earned an automatic entry into the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Agate Road, a bay son of Quality Road, entered from a triumphant turf debut on Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course, where he was placed toward the rear, went seven wide exiting the far turn and avoided a traffic jam when ninth at the stretch call, but was able to secure a neck victory. This came following his first career start, which was a late-closing second beaten a nose to Trade Imbalance in an off-the-turf maiden special weight on Aug. 5 going one mile at Saratoga.
Breaking from post 2, Agate Road was seventh of eight entering the first turn as graded stakes-placed Spirit Prince, who broke from the outermost post, cleared the field and took command through an opening quarter-mile in 23.51 seconds and a half-mile in :47.34 over the firm footing with Get Spooled in second to the outside of Tifareeh in third.
Around the far turn, Ortiz Jr. tipped his charge wide and off the rail with Spirit Prince still to catch through three-quarters in 1:11.64. Spirit Prince maintained his advantage through the stretch drive, but was getting leg weary as ground saving runners Liam's Journey and Fulmineo launched menacing bids with Agate Road mowing down rivals through the lane. Under Ortiz Jr.'s left-handed encouragement, Agate Road took command at the sixteenth pole, drifting in slightly as Liam's Journey took up, but proved superior and won by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:42.83.
Fulmineo, who was pinched between rivals in late stretch, nabbed second from Liam's Journey and Spirit Prince, who dead-heated for third. Triple Espresso, B D Saints, Tifareeh, and Get Spooled completed the order of finish. Tropandhagen was scratched.
There was a general stewards' inquiry into the stretch run as well as a claim of foul launched by Flavien Prat, the rider of Fulmineo, against Ortiz Jr. for alleged interference in the stretch, which was ultimately dismissed.
Ortiz Jr., who piloted Agate Road to his maiden score, said his horse showed improvement from the gate.
“He broke much better today than last time – that was the key,” Ortiz Jr. said. “After that, I just bided my time to go. Before the quarter-pole, I hit the clear outside. I went a little wide, maybe four or five wide and he kept coming. Last time, he had too much to do and he still got there. That gave me a lot of confidence. It was a beautiful trip and I just lost a couple lengths in the last turn and I was comfortable with that. I trust the trainer– he told me the horse was ready.”
Prat stood by his claim of foul and said Agate Road halted Fulmineo's momentum. Fulmineo, a son of Bolt d'Oro, entered from a second out triumph going the Pilgrim distance on Sept. 2 over the Colonial Downs turf.
“I was going to make a run. I was making a run and when he saw me, he squeezed everybody out inside of him and I took the worst of it on soft ground like this. From what I felt, it was the outside horse,” Prat said. “We had a good trip. We saved ground the whole way. I wanted to be close up, but the pace was pretty strong, so I gave him a chance and he made a good run.”
Manny Franco, the rider aboard Liam's Journey, said his horse reacted to the onrushing Agate Road in deep stretch.
“When the winner blew by me, he was drifting a little bit and my horse just shied from him and I grabbed as soon as possible,” Franco said. “I had a beautiful trip. I saved all the ground, tipped out in the stretch and he gave me all he had.”
After banking $110,000 in victory, Agate Road over doubled his lifetime earnings to $188,750 through a 3-2-0-1 record. He returned $6.90 for a $2 win wager as the post time favorite.
Bred in Kentucky by CHC, Inc., Agate Road was bought for $650,000 from Highgate Sales at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the Grade 1-winning Gemologist mare Yellow Agate, who captured the 2016 Frizette at Belmont Park.
Live racing resumes Thursday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
America's Day At The Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.
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Trainer Chad Brown has already won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf a record five times, and he appears headed back to the $1 million race Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park with Hard to Justify.
Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a relative of Grade I sire Gio Ponti (Tale Of The Cat).
14.15 Thurles, Mdn, €15,000, 2yo, f, 8f 11yT
Aidan O'Brien trainee GUSHING (American Pharoah), a $435,000 Keeneland September graduate, is a daughter of GIII Cardinal H. third Antonia Autumn (Bernstein), herself a half-sister to seven-time Grade I-winning sire Gio Ponti (Tale Of The Cat) and GI Gazelle S. third Bon Jovi Girl (Malibu Moon). She is accompanied by Ballydoyle stablemate and 500,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase Gleaning (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who is out of a half-sister to G2 Prix Greffulhe victor and G1 Grand Prix de Paris third Ocovango (GB) (Monsun {Ger}). O'Brien won the 2019 renewal of this heat with subsequent G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine and G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Matron S. placegetter Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
13.52 Salisbury, Nov, £10,000, 2yo, 8fT
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's MATSURI (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a half-brother to G3 Darley S. victrix Feliciana De Vega (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), was the joint-second highest-priced lot at last year's Tattersalls October Book 2 sale when knocked down to Roger Varian for 700,000gns. His rivals include fellow newcomer Promethean (Fr) (Intello {Ger}), who is a David Menuisier-trained half-brother to G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero Morandi (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
14.25 Salisbury, Nov, £10,000, 2yo, 8fT
Andrew Balding trainee MACH TEN (IRE) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), another debutant for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, is kin to dual Group 3-winning G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) runner-up Djumama (Ire) (Aussie Rules). He is confronted by 10 rivals here including fellow debutant Sir Galahad (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), who is a James Ferguson-trained son of G2 Blandford S. victrix and G1 Oaks and G1 Prix de l'Opera third Katiyra (Ire) (Peintre Celebre); and Roger Varian incumbent Joycean Way (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), who is a once-raced half-brother to this term's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. runner-up Sacred (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}).
14.57 Salisbury, Nov, £10,000, 2yo, 6f 213yT
INVERSION (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a half-brother of this year's GI Diana S. heroine Whitebeam (GB) (Caravaggio) who hails from the yard of Harry and Roger Charlton, is one of two Juddmonte contenders in this nine-runner contest. Opposition includes the operation's Kempton novice victor Qirat (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who is a half-brother to Ralph Beckett stablemate and G1 Irish Oaks runner-up Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) out of G1 Matron S. heroine Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}).
15.27 Salisbury, Nov, £10,000, 2yo, 6f 213yT
Juddmonte homebred INDELIBLE (IRE) (Shamardal) is a Ralph Beckett-trained daughter of six-time elite-level heroine Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and encounters seven rivals in this first go. She is kin to a trio of black-type performers headed by G3 Sandown Classic Trial and G3 N E Manion Cup victor Midterm (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Opposition includes Bjorn Nielsen's twice-raced High Handed (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), who is a half-sister to G1 Coronation S. and G1 Matron S.-winning matriarch Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), from the Brian O'Rourke stable.
The post Relative Of Gio Ponti Set For Thurles Unveiling appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
