Brown Barn to Bounce Back in Saratoga Derby

[Wandering Eyes]

Despite sending out nearly one-third of the field in the July 6 GI Belmont Derby, trainer Chad Brown finished third, fourth and seventh behind Henley’s Joy (Kitten’s Joy). The barn is out looking for revenge with two of those runners in Sunday’s second leg of the ‘Turf Trinity,’ the inaugural $1-million Belmont Derby.

At odds of 10-1, Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) was the third choice among the Brown quartet on the back of solid, if not entirely spectacular, European form. A debut winner in the French provinces, he won the Prix Policeman conditions race over the Cagnes-Sur-Mer all-weather in February ahead of a near-miss second in the G3 Prix La Force at ParisLongchamp Apr. 7. A low-odds sixth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club (2100m), he got far back in the Belmont Derby behind a decent pace, but flew home in a race-fastest :22.14 to be third. He’ll have to lay a bit closer and get going a bit sooner, but he should be a factor.

Those gamblers that remained faithful to Henley’s Joy following some tough defeats were rewarded to the tune of $43.60 in the Belmont Derby. Able to secure the box seat beneath Jose Lezcano, he was always forward, and even though Social Paranoia (Street Boss) got first run three wide into the lane, Lezcano didn’t panic, pulled Henley’s Joy out and finished over the top for the victory. A similar trip is in the offing from gate one Sunday.

Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), the GII American Turf winner, was done no favors in the Derby by drawing gate 13, but in reality, Irad Ortiz, Jr. was able to work out a decent trip and they rallied late into fourth despite some traffic in deep stretch. Seismic Wave (Tapit) kept company with Digital Age for the opening six furlongs of the Derby and he, too, rallied inside in the lane to be fifth.

A couple new shooters have some longshot appeal. Mohawk (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), third to stablemate and future G1 Investec Derby victor Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in last year’s G2 Futurity S., won the G2 Royal Lodge S. last season. Second to subsequent G1 St James’s Palace hero Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Listed Dee S. at tight-turning Chester in May, he was one spot behind Rockemperor in the French Derby and most recently defied a five-pound penalty to defeat his elders in the G3 Meld S. at Leopardstown July 18 (video). He sheds nine pounds and adds Lasix for this.

Phoenix Thoroughbred III’s Kadar (Scat Daddy), a maiden winner in two European starts for Karl Burke, made a favorable impression in his U.S. debut July 18 at the Spa, covering his final five-sixteenths of a mile in a strong :29.04 to finish a close third. Blinkers go on ‘the other Maker.’

 

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