The Uriah St. Lewis-owned and trained Discreet Lover (Repent) has been consistently outrunning his double-digit odds all year, including a fourth at 79-1 in the GI Metropolitan H. and a third at 38-1 in the GI Whitney S. A disappointing 12th last time in the GI Woodward S. Sept. 1, the bettors dismissed him once again Saturday at 45-1 in Belmont's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup and this time he more than outran his odds with a shocking upset over G1 Dubai World Cup victor Thunder Snow (Helmet {Aus}). With this victory, the 5-year-old earned millionaire status and a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs Nov. 3.
Discreet Lover rode the rail in a joint fifth with GI Belmont S. runner-up Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) as defending Jockey Club Gold Cup winner and GI Whitney S. romper Diversify (Bellamy Road) shot out to a clear lead with Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) the only one with earshot. Diversify maintained a clear lead over Medelssohn and the duo were almost 10 lengths clear of the rest of the field as the New York-bred zipped through a blazing first quarter in :22.72 and a half in an equally quick :45.64. Still well back off the leaders as three-quarters went up in 1:09.13, Discreet Lover readily responded when given the signal approaching the far turn, gobbling up ground while four wide to be fourth in early stretch as Thunder Snow ranged up alongside the leading duo. Diversify surrendered in mid-stretch and Mendelssohn did his best to stick with Thunder Snow, but his elder overtook him in a matter of strides. However, Discreet Lover was gaining ground up the outside, using every inch of Belmont's long stretch, to reel in the Dubai invader and pull off a shocker, winning his first Grade I by a neck. Thunder Snow held second over a game Mendelssohn and Diversify faded to fifth behind 69-1 shot Carlino (Lemon Drop Kid).
“It's the first Grade I for the horse and myself,” said St. Lewis. “He did it all. All I want to do is go cash my ticket.”
He continued, “He can come flying. The wire came right when we wanted it to come. It was great. But I want to go back and spend some time with him. Let's see how he comes out of it, and then we'll go from there. One step at a time. But everything is paid for [for the Breeders' Cup], so we don't have to worry.”
“This horse always gives me all he has,” said rider Manny Franco, who was scoring his third win on the card. “I knew I had a lot of horse under me. I was hoping they would come back to me and they did. I just need to get there one day and today was the day. He always hits the board.”
Saaed bin Suroor, trainer of runner-up Thunder Snow, was pleased with his charge, saying, “They went too fast early, but I'm happy with the way he ran the race. He was close to winning, but at least he ran a big race, so I'm happy. He ran his race. We'll take him to the Breeders' Cup Classic now. That was the target for him really. I was surprised at the winner. He surprised me, really.”
As for the beaten favorite Diversify, rider Irad Ortiz, said, “The track was fast and I had to go harder than usualbecause Mendelssohn (No. 3) was very quick out of there, and I needed to make the lead. I had to use a lot to make the lead. We just went a little fast.”
Capturing the GIII Excelsior S. at Aqueduct in Apr. 7, Discreet Lover finished sixth in the GII Charles Town Classic two weeks later and closed to be fourth in a sloppy renewal of the GIII Pimlico Special S. May 18. A well-beaten third behind Diversify in both the July 7 GII Suburban S. and the Aug. 4 Whitney over a sloppy track at Saratoga, the $10,000 EASMAY buy failed to fire last time in the Spa's GI Woodward S. Sept. 4, fading to 12th at 12-1, the shortest odds he'd been given since going off at 7-1 in the Excelsior.
Pedigree Notes:
Discreet Lover is the first foal out of the unraced Discreet Chat (Discreet Cat), who is a half-sister to MGSW millionaire Desert Code (E Dubai) and stakes winners Soul Onarazorsedge (Carson City) and Forest Code (Forestry). Her 2-year-old colt Replete (He's Had Enough) was purchased by West Point Thoroughbreds and Rob Masiello for $370,000 at the OBS April sale and finished fourth on debut for Dallas Stewart at Churchill Downs Sept. 15. The 9-year-old mare did not produce a foal in 2017, but had an Outwork filly Feb. 6 of this year and was bred back to Exaggerator. Discreet Lover is his sire Repent's first American Grade I winner.
Saturday, Belmont Park
JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP S.-GI, $750,000, Belmont, 9-29, 3yo/up, 1 1/4m, 1:59.99, ft.
1–DISCREET LOVER, 126, h, 5, by Repent
1st Dam: Discreet Chat, by Discreet Cat
2nd Dam: Chatta Code, by Lost Code
3rd Dam: Chattahoochee, by Mount Hagen (Fr)
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($14,000 RNA Ylg '14 OBSAUG; $10,000 2yo
'15 EASMAY). O/T-Uriah St. Lewis; B-Woodford
Thoroughbreds, LLC. (FL); J-Manuel Franco. $412,500. Lifetime
Record: 44-7-7-7, $1,354,060. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”woodford-winning”][bullet ad=”florida-breds-ftboa”]2–Thunder Snow (Ire), 126, c, 4, Helmet (Aus)–Eastern Joy
(GB), by Dubai Destination. O-Godolphin Racing, LLC; B-Darley
(Ire); T-Saeed bin Suroor. $150,000.
3–Mendelssohn, 122, c, 3, Scat Daddy–Leslie's Lady, by Tricky
Creek. ($3,000,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Michael Tabor, Susan
Magnier & Derrick Smith; B-Clarkland Farm (KY); T-Aidan P.
O'Brien. $90,000. [bullet ad=”clarkland-bredraisedsold”][bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: NK, 1 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 45.50, 6.50, 4.30.
Also Ran: Carlino, Diversify, Gronkowski, Uno Mas Modelo, Patch.
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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