Arklow had been knocking on the door all year, and he picked a good time to break through Saturday, coming out on top of a hard-fought three-way battle ahead of defending Hirsch champ Channel Maker and always-dangerous multi-millionaire Sadler's Joy.
An upset winner of the GII American Turf S. as a sophomore, the bay took last year's $750,000 GIII Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs before finishing second in the GIII Sycamore S. at Keeneland. He was a well-beaten fourth (one spot behind Sadler's Joy) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in November, and reemerged this April in a tough Keeneland allowance, only to lose his rider at the start. He bounced back to drop a neck decision to Channel Maker in the GI Man o' War S. going a furlong shorter here in May, and just missed as the favorite in the two-mile GII Belmont Gold Cup Invitational S. June 7. A close third behind Channel Cat (English Channel) and Ya Primo (Chi) Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in the GII Bowling Green S. at the Spa July 27, he settled for second to Zulu Alpha (Street Cry {Ire}) when attempting to defend his title at Kentucky downs Sept. 7.
Reined in past the wire but then guided out wide and taking closer order around the first bend, Arklow sat perched in third early outside of Sadler's Joy with Channel Maker enjoying a fairly easy lead. Arklow started to turn up the heat and poked a head in front after a mile in 1:40.31, but Channel Maker boxed on along the inside and Sadler's Joy wasn't giving an inch either. Channel Maker looked briefly in midstretch like he might have been playing possum, but Arklow found another gear as the line loomed to power to the front late.
“Coming by the wire at the first turn, I knew we were going a little slow. I didn't want to go in behind those horses and then never be able to catch the frontrunner, so I just lost a little ground into the first turn but I never got in his way,” said winning pilot Junior Alvarado of his early tactical decision. “I let him find his rhythm and he was there for me the whole way around… At the quarter pole, I thought I was going to start getting away from them the way he was moving and then he switched leads to the right and he kind of steadied. Channel Maker came back on me a little bit. I felt my horse trying, he never stopped. At the end, he showed his class and got through it.”
Dustin Dugas, assistant for trainer Brad Cox, said, “It's been a long journey to get there, but he finally got it done. He's had enough seconds in a row. He's a cool horse. He's a hard knocker for all of us. It's fun… They had him right. He shipped in from Kentucky. The guys in Kentucky did a great job with him. They had him on point and ready to run today.”
The Cox barn also took the GI Darley Alcibiades S. on Friday afternoon at Keeneland.
Saturday, Belmont Park
JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $507,500, Belmont, 10-5, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:27.34, fm.
1–ARKLOW, 126, h, 5, by Arch
1st Dam: Unbridled Empire, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Cindazanno, by Alleged
3rd Dam: Venus Bound, by Conquistador Cielo
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($160,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Donegal
Racing, Joseph Bulger & Peter Coneway; B-John & Frank Penn
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Junior Alvarado. $275,000. Lifetime
Record: 23-6-6-2, $1,776,382. *1/2 to Maraud (Blame),
MGSW, $489,660. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Channel Maker, 126, g, 5, English Channel–In Return, by
Horse Chestnut (SAf). ($57,000 RNA Ylg '15 KEESEP).
O-Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves
Thoroughbred Racing; B-Tall Oaks Farm (ON); T-William Mott.
$105,000.
3–Sadler's Joy, 126, h, 6, Kitten's Joy–Dynaire, by Dynaformer.
O/B-Woodslane Farm (KY); T-Thomas Albertrani. $60,000.
Margins: HF, HD, 1 3/4. Odds: 4.00, 3.55, 2.80.
Also Ran: Channel Cat, Cross Border, Zulu Alpha, Ya Primo (Chi).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
