West Point Thoroughbreds and David Ingordo's Northern Invader, a sophomore son of Collected, drew off to an impressive eight-length score on Saturday in a one-mile maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up over the Widener turf at Belmont Park
Trained by Cherie DeVaux and piloted by John Velazquez, Northern Invader bobbled at the break and settled in fourth position before making a three-wide move on the turn and taking a four-length lead at the stretch call. The talented chestnut kicked away in the final furlong under a strong hand ride to secure the win in a final time of 1:33.76 and garner a career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure.
Northern Invader, bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. and Peter A. Berglar Racing Interests, made his first two starts on dirt at Churchill Downs, completing the exacta on both occasions, in May and June.
DeVaux said she was cautiously optimistic of a good effort from Northern Invader in his turf debut.
“He's exciting for sure. The first two races we were trying to see if we should pursue going on the dirt. We always had a feeling he was a turf horse, but he had been training so well on the dirt,” said DeVaux, who secured her first win at Belmont Park. “There's always some apprehension. The two races he ran on the dirt were really solid and the speed figures came back quite fast, so you're just hoping you make the right decision with the surface change.”
DeVaux said Northern Invader is likely to target the $500,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2) at one-mile on turf for sophomores on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course rather than try for a Canadian classic win in the $1-million King's Plate, a 10-furlong Tapeta test restricted to Canadian-breds on August 20 at Woodbine Racetrack.
“Right now, I think we'll stay the course on the turf and maybe try the Hall of Fame. Just see how he's training out of this and go from there,” DeVaux said. “It's a big jump to go from a mile to that [10 furlongs], so we'll just have to see how he progresses in his training.”
The well-bred $310,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the winning Arch mare Androeah, who is a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Archarcharch.
DeVaux credited Northern Invader's breeders, who also found success this meet with the sophomore Ontario-bred Kalik, who captured the Pennine Ridge (G2) in June at Belmont and is targeting Saturday's $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1).
“They both do an excellent job with anything they have their hand in,” said DeVaux of Anderson and Berglar. “They're family friends of ours and both do a really good job in their matings and how the horses are raised. My husband [Ingordo] bought [Grade 1 winner] Hard Not to Love off of Dave Anderson — he has a great breeding program up there.”
Northern Invader, who shipped upstate to Saratoga this morning, was saddled on Saturday by DeVaux's sister and assistant trainer, Adrianne DeVaux, who visited with the budding star when he was a yearling.
“She was actually playing with him in the field and he was chasing her around. He wouldn't leave her alone, so the joke was always that he chose her. She's very attached to him,” DeVaux said, with a laugh.
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