Back at his favorite track and stretching back out to arguably his favorite distance, Robert S. Evans's 'TDN Rising Star' Tonalist (Tapit) was the recipient of a perfect ride from jockey John Velazquez and announced himself as the leading candidate for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic not named American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) or Beholder (Henny Hughes) with a successful defense of his title in Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) was ridden for speed and finished a clear second ahead of his stablemate Effinex (Mineshaft) in third. “I was very happy with the way Tonalist was travelling,” trainer Christophe Clement reflected. “He always looked very comfortable. I thought that at any stage of the race, he could've taken them on. He's back to what I always believed. He's a top class horse. It's a wonderful race, it's great to win it two years in a row. Every start this year, I wouldn't have traded my position with anyone else, even when we got beat. People forget about him, but I never forgot about him.”
Winner of the GII Peter Pan S. in his first trip around Big Sandy last May, Tonalist was up in the final jump to take the GI Belmont S. by a head. Second to Wicked Strong in the GII Jim Dandy S. and third in the GI Travers S., the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate returned to Belmont to take this by 1 3/4 lengths, but was left with too much to do when a 4-1 chance in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and stayed on to be fifth.
Given plenty of time to prepare for a 4-year-old campaign, Tonalist was ultra-impressive in overcoming a slow start en route to a 3 3/4-length tally in the GIII Westchester S. over Belmont's one-turn mile May 2 and finished closest to Honor Code (A.P. Indy) when giving that one five pounds in the GI Metropolitan H. June 6. Allowed to make a premature move into a strong pace in the GII Suburban H. over this track and distance July 4, Tonalist could not quite finish the job and settled for second to Effinex and was exiting a late-running third to fellow Rising Stars Honor Code and Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song) when last spotted in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Aug. 8.
Drawn outside in the field of six, Tonalist landed in fifth position as, surprisingly, Wicked Strong outfooted Constitution (Tapit) to the front, then took back into second as the opening quarter-mile was posted in :24.35. Effinex stalked three wide from third, ahead of Coach Inge (Big Brown), who was not ridden for pace, while Tonalist and Looks to Spare (Pollard's Vision) lingered behind. Not wanting to fall too far behind, Velazquez gave Tonalist a bit of rein and the duo went up underneath Coach Inge to be within about three lengths of the lead passing the 3/4-pole. Joel Rosario asked Wicked Strong to come after Constitution fully 2 1/2 furlongs from home and the bay worked his way to a narrow lead, but Tonalist was going well at the fence just waiting to be called upon. Pulled out and around a running-on-empty Constitution turning for home, Tonalist was roused to the front outside the eighth pole and pulled readily clear.
“I think [in the Suburban] I let him do what he wanted to do instead of taking hold of him. and he got caught,” Velazquez offered. “Today, he was in the bridle and I kept him behind horses. [Turning for home] I was going inside or outside, but once he [Wicked Strong] started drifting out, I had to go inside. He was so much better today. Everything worked out perfect. He was so good and traveling so well throughout the race.”
Settling Mist is the dam of the 3-year-old filly Settle 'n Speight (Speightstown), who won her maiden at second asking at for Woodslane Farm at Delaware Park Sept. 5. The mare, who was sold privately by the Woolcotts to owner Charles Fipke, has a 2-year-old by Tale of Ekati named Tale of Mist and trained by Barclay Tagg, who breezed five furlongs in 1:04.87 at Belmont Oct. 1. The mare's yearling filly by Jersey Town was a $500,000 purchase at this year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. Settling Mist was bred back to Tapit this year.
Saturday, Belmont Park
JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP S.-GI, $1,000,000, BEL, 10-3, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:02.16, sy.
1–TONALIST, 126, c, 4, by Tapit
1st Dam: Settling Mist, by Pleasant Colony
2nd Dam: Toll Fee, by Topsider
3rd Dam: Toll Booth, by Buckpasser
($195,000 RNA Ylg '12 FTSAUG). O-Robert S.Evans; B-Woodslane Farm (KY); T-Christophe Clement; J-John R. Velazquez. $600,000. Lifetime Record: 14-6-4-2, $3,097,000. Werk Nick Rating:A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”lawley-wakelin-tonalist”][bullet ad=”eqb-exceptionalcardio”][bullet ad=”sweezey-partners-consigned-by-sweezey-partners”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Wicked Strong, 126, c, 4, Hard Spun–Moyne Abbey,by Charismatic. ($375,000 Ylg '12 KEESEP). O-Centennial Farms; B-William F. Lynn (KY); T-James A. Jerkens. $200,000.
3–Effinex, 126, c, 4, Mineshaft">Mineshaft–What a Pear, by E Dubai. O-Tri-Bone Stables; B-Russell S. Cohen (NY); T-James A. Jerkens. $100,000. [bullet ad=”best-a-luck-farm-shell”][bullet ad=”nytb-1000″] Margins: 4 3/4, 6 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 1.00, 7.10, 5.00.
Also Ran: Coach Inge, Looks to Spare, Constitution.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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