1st-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 6-7, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.77, ft.
DOUBLE ORB (c, 3, Orb–Impassionit, by Include), unveiled just minutes after his trainer Steve Asmussen debuted 'TDN Rising Star' Magic Dance (More Than Ready) at Churchill, sprung the upset in Belmont's opener Friday, graduating at first asking at 12-1 odds. Dueling for control from the get-go, he and his pace rival clocked early splits of :22.23 and :45.46. Shaking free of that foe in the lane, Double Orb rolled clear to win as he pleased by 4 1/4 lengths. The Chad Brown-trained pair of Ahead of Plan (Big Drama) and Per Capita (Tapit) finished second and third, respectively. The winner has a foal half-sister by another Shug McGaughey trainee (like Orb) in Point of Entry. Sales history: $47,000 RNA Ylg '17 KEESEP; $55,000 2yo '18 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Wind Hill Farm (FL); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
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