Simcock Shipper Merits Plenty of Respect in Jockey Club Derby

[Wandering Eyes]

When trainer David Simcock sends one across the Atlantic from his Trillium Place complex in Newmarket, it definitely pays to pay attention. His runners have made 11 North American appearances since 2014, good for four victories–three at Grade I level–including Desert Encounter (Ire) (Halling)’s 8-1 upset of last year’s GI Canadian International S. While Saturday’s inaugural running of the Jockey Club Derby Invitational S.–the final leg of the ‘Turf Trinity’–lacks Grade I status, it does feature a seven-figure purse and has attracted the Simcock-conditioned Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}).

A maiden winner at second asking over the Chelmsford all-weather last November, the $125,000 Keeneland September purchase was fifth in Kempton’s Road to the Kentucky Derby conditions stakes over an insufficient one-mile trip Mar. 6, but has flourished with a switch to the turf since. A bang-up second in his stakes debut in the 11-furlong Cocked Hat S. at Goodwood in May, the bay stretched out to a mile and five and raced away by four lengths in the G3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket July 11. He was a troubled third in the G3 Gordon S. at Goodwood Aug. 1 and the form of that test was flattered when runner-up Constantinople (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) filled the same spot in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York Aug. 21.

A Thread of Blue (Hard Spun) has drawn the inside gate for this 12-furlong test and looms the controlling speed on paper. Wire-to-wire winner of the one-mile Dania Beach S. at Gulfstream this past February, the dark bay made the majority of the pace in the GII American Turf S. at Churchill May 4, only to be run down late by Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). A puzzling fourth in the June 1 GIII Penn Mile over yielding ground that was perhaps not to his liking, the dark bay was unchallenged on the lead in the Aug. 4 Saratoga Derby and took them coast-to-coast to best Digital Age by a length.

“There was the question of can he could go this far, can he go a mile and a half, and you really don’t have a basis to make that estimate,” Jon Green, son of owner Leonard Green, said during this week’s TDN Writers’ Room podcast. “[Trainer] Joe Orseno told me years ago if you have a front-running horse and you can relax him on the lead, then the race doesn’t really start until the top of the stretch. And I think that’s really what happened with the Saratoga Derby and we hope that’s what’s going to happen with this Derby as well.”

Tone Broke (Broken Vow) makes his first U.S. start since finishing second in the Sir Barton S. at Pimlico May 18. A good third in the June 29 Queen’s Plate over the Woodbine synthetic, the dark bay took out the July 23 Prince of Wales S. on the dirt and exits a very game success in the Breeders’ S. contested over yielding turf in Toronto Aug. 17.

 

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