Connect (Curlin), off since defeating Friday's GI Clark H. hero Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GII Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 24, outslugged Divining Rod (Tapit) by a head in a thrilling renewal of Saturday's GI Cigar Mile H. at the Big A.
“It was an exciting race and this is such a nice horse,” winning trainer Chad Brown said. “Javier [Castellano] really rode him good. He had to move a little earlier than he wanted and he got a bit of a wide trip, but he knew how to time it just right. Then he got in a battle with a real classy horse [Divining Rod] there on the inside, and luckily, we came out on top in the photo.”
Facing his elders here, the 3-2 favorite settled in a perfect spot in fifth behind a moderate pace of :23.31 and :46.44 up top. Gradually advancing while parked four wide on the far turn, Connect hooked up with Divining Rod, third in American Pharoah's GI Preakness S., throughout a great stretch battle and just got his head down on the wire first in a driving finish.
“I'm real proud of this horse,” Brown continued. “He hadn't run since the Pennsylvania Derby, so we freshened him a little and there is always a bit of a risk doing that. He could be a little short. But he had just enough today and got it done at a mile. He showed a lot today beating older horses.”
A winner of three of four to start his career, including the stakes race named for his sire July 29 at Saratoga, Connect finished a well-beaten sixth in the GI Travers S. Aug. 27 before getting the money by a half-length in the aforementioned Bensalem, Pa, centerpiece. He was third in his lone start at two over this track last December. Connect had posted seven workouts since the Pennsylvania Derby, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.20 (2/16) at Brown's Belmont base Nov. 19.
“I was a little concerned because this horse hadn't had a race under his belt since the Pennsylvania Derby, but I know how much heart he has and how competitive he is,” Brown said. “He really showed a lot of heart today. Beating older horses in a race like this is a very high mark on his resume.”
Castellano added, “We had a good trip and that's all I was looking for today. The way it set up was perfect. There was a lot of speed in the race. They went pretty quick and started backing up and every time I asked him, he responded every step of the way. I liked the way he finished. He's a good horse. He fought back. I'm so proud of the way he did it today.”
With the runner-up finish from Divining Rod, good for a $100,000 paycheck, leading sire Tapit breaks his own single-season progeny earnings record for the third consecutive year.
Pedigree Notes:
Connect's MSW second dam was responsible for GSW Native Regent (Vice Regent), SW/MGSP Royal Fair (Deputy Minister) and MSW/MGSP Morriston Belle (Herat). Connect hails from the same extended female family as Backseat Rhythm (El Corredor), third in the 2007 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and a winner of the following year's GI Garden City S. in the same Paul Pompa, Jr. silks. Connect has an unraced Tizway 2-year-old half-brother, who was a $130,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, and a weanling half-brother by Uncle Mo. Connect's unraced dam Bullville Belle was purchased by Fox-Straus for $20,000 while in foal to Rockport Harbor at the 2010 KEENOV sale. She RNA'd for $12,000 in foal to Tizway at the 2014 KEEJAN sale. Bullville Belle was bred to Animal Kingdom this year.
Saturday, Aqueduct
CIGAR MILE H.-GI, $500,000, AQU, 11-26, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.34, ft.
1–&CONNECT, 118, c, 3, by Curlin">Curlin
1st Dam: Bullville Belle, by Holy Bull
2nd Dam: Barkerville Belle, by Ruthie's Native
3rd Dam: Celebrity Belle, by Star Envoy
($150,000 Ylg '14 FTKJUL). O-Paul P Pompa Jr; B-Fox Straus KY (KY); T-Chad C Brown; J-Javier Castellano. $300,000. Lifetime Record: 7-5-0-1, $1,250,000. *1/2 to Tani Maru (Cherokee Run), MSW, $223,515.[bullet ad=”xavier-yearling-purchase”][bullet ad=”vanmeter-hell-yeah”][bullet ad=”south-point-connect”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Divining Rod, 119, c, 4, Tapit–Precious Kitten, by Catienus. O-Lael Stables; B-M Roy Jackson (KY); T-Arnaud Delacour. $100,000.[bullet ad=”stephensthoroughbreds-grad”] 3–Realm, 115, g, 3, Haynesfield–Shawnee Country, by Chief's Crown. ($36,000 Ylg '14 FTKJUL; $75,000 Ylg '14 EASSEP). O-Eric Dattner, Barclay Tagg & Harry Astarita; B-Morgan's Ford Farm (VA); T-Barclay Tagg. $50,000.[bullet ad=”kirkwood-shell”][bullet ad=”allied-bloodstock”]
Margins: HD, 5, NK. Odds: 1.50, 5.90, 17.70.
Also Ran: War Story, Anchor Down, Threefiveindia, Tale of S'avall, Economic Model, Mylute, Ocean Knight.
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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