By Alan Carasso
As recently as four Saturdays ago, the silks of owner Jeffrey Bloom found themselves in the Belmont winner's circle on one of horse racing's biggest days following a stunning victory from the partnership-owned Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in the GI Ogden Phipps S. on the Belmont S. undercard. Bloom was back at it again Saturday afternoon in Elmont, as Henley's Joy (Kitten's Joy) sat handy to the pace and kicked home best of all to annex the $1-million GI Belmont Derby Invitational S.
“It's such a big race to win and it's so important, but for this particular horse,” said Bloom. “He's had the worst racing luck and he's just been so honest, so many rough trips, it was just so gratifying to see him be able to show everybody how talented he is. He's had so many near misses in situations where things didn't go right and he answered the call today in a big spot.”
Fastest away from gate six, Henley's Joy led the Belmont Derby field under the wire for the first time, but Jose Lezcano was content to surrender the lead to GII Penn Mile hero Moon Colony (Uncle Mo), who pressed through to take command entering the clubhouse turn. That Casse runner was ultimately joined to his outside by Ballydoyle's Blenheim Palace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who pulled several lengths clear of Henley's Joy and Social Paranoia (Street Boss) after a half-mile in :47.80. Produced three wide off the home corner by Manny Franco, the latter swooped and wrested command from Moon Colony, but Henley's Joy, switched out three deep to deliver his challenge a furlong down, surged to the lead with a little more than a sixteenth of a mile to race and held firm. Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), last for the opening mile, came home under a full head of steam, covering his final quarter-mile in a race-fastest :22.14 to be a highly promising third while covering 24 feet (about 2 ½ lengths) more than the winner. Social Paranoia ran 35 feet more than Henley's Joy.
“I had a very good trip,” said winning jockey Jose Lezcano, who enters Sunday's closing-day program with a one-race lead over Luis Saez in the jockey's championship. The horse seemed very comfortable. Around the backside, I was a little worried he was kind of jumping off the bridle. When I asked him to take off, it was easier because of how he broke out of the gate. It's been a very good meet. All the trainers have given me great opportunities and I'm very grateful for them.”
A dual stakes winner at two, including the Pulpit S. in December, Henley's Joy missed by a neck in the Jan. 5 Gulfstream stakes named for his sire before a 10th to future Classic winner War of Will (War Front) in the GII Risen Star S. Feb. 16. A hard-charging second to recent Queen's Plate runner-up Avie's Flatter (Flatter) in the GIII Transylvania S. at Keeneland Apr. 5, the chestnut was a tough-trip eighth to Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the GII American Turf at Churchill May 4 and was exiting a fourth to 'TDN Rising Star' Demarchelier (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in this track's GIII Pennine Ridge S. June 1. The latter took a bad step at the half-mile, was eased out of the race and vanned off the track. Daily Racing Form reported that he will undergo surgery for a lateral condylar fracture of his right foreleg.
Pedigree Notes:
The second Belmont Derby winner in three years for Kitten's Joy (Oscar Performance, 2017), Henley's Joy was a $20,000 purchase out of the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling sale before Bloom went to $50,000 for the colt in a private transaction after he worked an eighth of a mile in :10 3/5 for last year's OBS April Sale. Henley's Joy is the 13th Grade I/Group 1 winner for his sire and the fourth from a Storm Cat-line mare (Stephanie's Kitten, Hawkbill, Bobby's Kitten). He is the 45th GSW for Kitten's Joy. Though his second dam is blank, Henley's Joy's turf GSW third dam was a half-sister to Golden Pheasant (Caro {Ire}), winner of the 1990 GI Arlington Million for Bruce McNall, Wayne Gretzky and legendary trainer Charlie Whittingham. Blue Grass Music is the dam of Henley's Joy's 2-year-old full-brother Replacement Cost, a $150,000 OBS October yearling purchase by De Meric Sales, agent, and a yearling full-brother.
Saturday, Belmont Park
BELMONT DERBY INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $1,000,000, Belmont, 7-6, 3yo, 1 1/4mT, 1:58.29, fm.
1–HENLEY'S JOY, 122, c, 3, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Blue Grass Music, by Bluegrass Cat
2nd Dam: Killoe, by Kris S.
3rd Dam: Seewillo, by Pleasant Colony
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($20,000 Ylg '17
EASOCT; $50,000 2yo '18 OBSAPR). O-Bloom Racing Stable
LLC; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Michael J. Maker;
J-Jose Lezcano. $535,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 11-4-3-0, $953,160.
Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Social Paranoia, 122, c, 3, Street Boss–Shutterbug, by Deputy
Minister. ($75,000 Ylg '17 FTKJUL). O-The Elkstone Group, LLC
(Stuart Grant); B-Mineola Farm II, LLC & Silent Grove Farm, LLC
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $185,000.
3–Rockemperor (Ire), 122, c, 3, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)—
Motivation (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB). (€50,000 Ylg '17 ARAUG;
€12,000 2yo '18 ARQMAY). O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael
Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael E. Kisber & Bethlehem Stables
LLC; B-Haras du Mezeray (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
Margins: 3/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 20.80, 16.00, 10.70.
Also Ran: Digital Age (Ire), Seismic Wave, Plus Que Parfait, Standard Deviation, Cape of Good Hope (Ire), Moon Colony, English Bee, Spinoff, Blenheim Palace (Ire), Master Fencer (Jpn), Demarchelier (GB). Scratched: He's No Lemon.
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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