Given his credentials, it might be hard to believe that multiple Grade 1-placed millionaire Soldier Rising has yet to win a stakes since joining the stable of trainer Christophe Clement in the summer of 2021. After coming close on several occasions, the 5-year-old son of Frankel will pursue a top-level victory in Saturday's rescheduled edition of the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) going 1 1/2 miles at Belmont at the Big A.
Solider Rising enters from a runner-up effort Aug. 26 in the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer (G1), which was contested over yielding ground at Saratoga Race Course. There, he raced from last-of-six before surging late to finish second beaten 4 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Bolshoi Ballet.
Although winless in four starts this year, Soldier Rising posted two other Grade 1-placings when second in Belmont Park's Man o' War (G1) on May 13 and the Resorts World Casino Manhattan (G1) on June 10, both contested over firm going.
But Soldier Rising has placed in five-of-six Grade 1 starts, starting with his North American debut for Clement when second beaten one length to State of Rest in the 2021 Saratoga Derby Invitational. In last year's Sword Dancer, he registered a career-high 103 Beyer Seed Figure when finishing third, just one length behind victorious stablemate Gufo.
“He's doing very well. He finished second in three Grade 1s in New York so far this year,” noted Clement, who captured the 2010 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic with Winchester. “He keeps running well, and we're going to keep trying with him. It's a good race, a tough race on paper, but I think he does OK on soft ground. He should be there, and we'll try for the best. He's run very well on every kind of ground, so I'm not too concerned about the ground.”
Soldier Rising is owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables, and Michael J. Caruso and has banked $1,144,997 in earnings through a consistent 19-4-8-3 record. Bred in Great Britain by Dayton Investments, Solider Rising is out of the stakes-winning German-bred Pivotal mare Sahrawi.
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