Champagne: Chancer McPatrick leads field of 10 in BC qualfier
Photo:
Gary Johnson / Eclipse Sportswire
Grade 1 winner Chancer McPatrick leads a competitive field of 10 for Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile for juveniles, at Belmont at the Big A.
The Champagne, a win-and-you’re-in for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar, also offers 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top five finishers toward Kentucky Derby 2025.
Trained by four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, Chancer McPatrick became the first Grade 1 winner for his sire McKinzie last out with a strong half-length victory in the seven-furlong Hopeful on Sept. 2 at Saratoga. There, the talented bay overcame a troubled beginning after he hit the gate when emerging from post 8 of 9, causing jockey Flavien Prat to lose an iron and trail in eighth in the early stages.
Chancer McPatrick was 9 1/2 lengths back of the pace set by returning rival Smoken Wicked, who marked splits of 22.76 seconds and 45.70 over the fast main track, but the former responded well when asked in the turn to commence his run with a seven-wide rally. Incentive Pay and Ferocious also found their best stride heading into the stretch as Smoken Wicked gave way, but Chancer McPatrick rolled down the center of the course to collar Ferocious just in time, stopping the clock at 1:23.44. He was awarded an 88 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form for the effort.
Brown said Chancer McPatrick has gained valuable experience in both of his starts with eye-catching rallies.
“Oh, he learned plenty,” Brown said. “Both of his starts, he’s had to persevere through some trouble, tangled breaks and some dirt in his face. He’s run like an older horse. I’m pretty impressed with him.”
The Champagne will see Chancer McPatrick stretch out again after debuting with a deep-closing, one-length win sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in July at the Spa and following with his Hopeful coup. Brown said the precocious colt should relish added ground as he enters off a half-mile work in 49.75 seconds Saturday at Saratoga.
“He certainly gives us the feeling that he’s going to appreciate some more distance, and his pedigree would suggest it, too. He looks good and his final work was good. He’s been moved down to Belmont,” Brown said. “He’s ready to run.”
Also hoping to maintain an unblemished record is Mo Plex, whose 3-for-3 record includes a win in the Sanford (G3) on July 13 at Saratoga for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. The New York-bred son of Complexity was a 10-length winner of his June 20 debut against state-breds at Aqueduct, and he proved that win was no fluke with his pacesetting Sanford score.
He followed with a determined last-out score against state-breds in the six-furlong Funny Cide on Aug. 25, where he stumbled at the start and was the farthest off the pace he had been in his career when tracking in second one length off the pace through the first half. He battled on valiantly in the stretch to win by a nose in a thrilling photo finish with Soontobeking, earning a 71 Beyer in victory.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher saddles two in search of a record-extending seventh win in this event, bringing the talented pair of Saratoga six-furlong debut maiden winners Tip Top Thomas and Uncaged.
Tip Top Thomas earned an 85 Beyer for a prominent head victory on Aug. 24, dueling with Rookie Card throughout with neither colt willing to let the other go by. The two threw it down in the stretch in a thrilling finish as the pouncing Keewaydin loomed on their outside, resulting in a three-way photo that went to Tip Top Thomas by a head over Rookie Card, who was a nose better than Keewaydin. The final time was 1:10.46.
Uncaged won with a stalk-and-pounce trip Aug. 3, coming from two lengths off the pace under Irad Ortiz Jr. to sweep six wide in the stretch and draw off by 1 3/4-lengths in a final time of 1:10.55. He was awarded an 84 Beyer.
Recent maiden winner Vekoma Rides makes a quick return for trainer John Kimmel after graduating in a six-furlong sprint on Sept. 14 at Aqueduct.
The son of Vekoma sat a close third under returning rider Kendrick Carmouche just behind the dueling Math Tutor and McHale. Vekoma Rides settled two lengths back after a half-mile in 47.74, but Carmouche turned him loose in the turn to easily take a 3 1/2-length lead at the stretch call. Vekoma Rides bounded clear down the stretch to post the five-length score in a final time of 1:12.81 and was geared down at the wire.
“He’s doing quite well, and it wasn’t an all-in kind of race,” Kimmel said. “He won with some gas left in the tank, and he came out of it in good order. Kendrick had confidence when he rode him, and told me he doesn’t think more distance will be an issue for this horse. He’s always said every time he breezed him that he has a nice turn of foot, and getting tired is not something he has experienced.”
Kimmel said he is not concerned about running the chestnut back in three weeks.
“It was an easy race for him. If it was a gut-wrenching performance, maybe we’d have to consider giving him more time,” Kimmel said. “He’s kind of a tough horse to be around, a bully in the stall pushing you around. He thinks he’s the man. We’ll see what happens. It’s a race that has a lot of pluses if you win and not a lot of minuses if you don’t.”
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
J J Zo Zo Sea Wizard |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 2 |
|
Tip Top Thomas Volatile |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Lethal Speed Kantharos |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
Mo Plex Complexity |
6.47 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 5 |
|
Uncaged Curlin |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Vekoma Rides Vekoma |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Smoken Wicked Bobby’s Wicked One |
5.67 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 8 |
|
Colonel Bob Yorkton |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 9 |
|
Executive Order Unified |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 10 |
|
Chancer McPatrick McKinzie |
7.05 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
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