Asbury Park rallies to victory in G2 Jockey Club Derby Invitational

Peter Brant and St. Elias Stable's Asbury Park rallied to a two-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, an 11-furlong inner turf test for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.

It was a second stakes victory on the afternoon for Franco, five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown and co-owner and breeder St. Elias Stable, adding to Rated by Merit’s frontrunning win in the restricted $125,000 Discovery in Race 2. In victory, Asbury Park followed in the footsteps of his dual Group 2-winning half-brother Spanish Mission, who captured the 2019 Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park.

“It was a really fairly run race. The pace was honest enough and he [Manny Franco] - after leaving with good intent to get the pace going - was able to guide him back towards the rear and towards the fence and covered up. That's where he wants to be. He really worked out a good trip from there. That's a couple nice stakes wins today with Manny - he's done a great job for us,” Brown said.

The Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Crudo showed the way through splits of 23.79 seconds, 48.30 and 1:14.02 over the firm footing while stalked closely by his Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Noble Confessor and the ground-saving A Bourbon for Toby in third.

Asbury Park was settled comfortably in next-to-last in the field of seven but moved up willingly down the backstretch as Crudo led into the final turn. Crudo spun the field into the stretch run as Woodbine-based raider Hammerhead launched a furious rally up the rail but was stymied by the retreating A Bourbon for Toby. Asbury Park, who tipped out late in the turn, found clear sailing and lifted late to notch the victory in a final time of 2:14.45.

Franco, the meet’s leading rider, said he was able to work out a patient trip.

“They told me to try to be – if I can – try to be behind the speed, but as soon as we break and everybody went for position, they run away from me. I just take my time,” Franco said. “After that, I rode my race from there. I was comfortable where I was. He was traveling well. Man, going to the three-eighths pole, I had a lot of horse. I just tried to find the room, when I get the room, he explode for me.”

Noble Confessor completed the exacta by a half-length over the Brown-trained favorite Hill Road, who lugged in at the top of the lane before straightening out and closing well for third. Crudo, Hammerhead, Game Warrior and A Bourbon for Toby rounded out the order of finish.

Asbury Park, by Frankel, graduated at second asking in June at Saratoga Race Course and entered from a rallying 1 1/4-length third in the Spa’s restricted Listed Saranac on September 1.

Brown indicated Asbury Park could point to the nine-furlong Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on November 29 at Del Mar.

"I think that makes a lot of sense,” Brown said. “He'll have to cut back to two turns, but he had a nice kick at Saratoga going two turns. He certainly found his way going a mile and three-eighths, so we'll see." 

Bred in Great Britain by St. Elias Stable, Asbury Park banked $275,000 in victory while improving his record to 5-2-0-1. He returned $6.96 for a $2 win bet. Asbury Park is out of the Listed stakes-winning Street Cry mare Limonar – a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Talco.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the Grade 3, $175,000 Waya in Race 6. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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