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Chancer McPatrick tops field for G1 Champagne

by Mary Eddy

Flanagan Racing’s Grade 1-winner Chancer McPatrick heads a competitive field of 10 for Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile for juveniles, at Belmont at the Big A.

The Champagne – a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar – also offers 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top-five finishers towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Slated as Race 8, the Champagne is one of four graded stakes on Saturday’s 12-race card, which also features the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette, a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, in Race 7; the Grade 3, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby in Race 5; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint in Race 6. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Chancer McPatrick became the first Grade 1-winner for his sire McKinzie last out with a strong half-length victory in the seven-furlong Hopeful on September 2 at Saratoga Race Course. There, the talented bay overcame a troubled beginning after he hit the gate when emerging from post 8-of-9, causing jockey Flavien Prat to lose an iron and trail in eighth in the early stages.

Chancer McPatrick was 9 1/2 lengths back of the pace set by returning rival Smoken Wicked, who marked splits of 22.76 seconds and 45.70 over the fast main track, but the former responded well when asked in the turn to commence his run with a seven-wide rally. Incentive Pay and Ferocious also found their best stride heading into the stretch as Smoken Wicked gave way, but Chancer McPatrick rolled down the center of the course to collar Ferocious just in time, stopping the clock in 1:23.44. He was awarded an 88 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Brown said Chancer McPatrick has gained valuable experience in both of his starts with eye-catching rallies.

“Oh, he learned plenty,” Brown said. “Both of his starts, he’s had to persevere through some trouble, tangled breaks and some dirt in his face. He’s ran like an older horse. I’m pretty impressed with him.”

The Champagne will see Chancer McPatrick stretch out again after debuting with a deep-closing one-length win sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in July at the Spa and following with his Hopeful coup. Brown said the precocious colt should relish added ground as he enters off a half-mile work in 49.75 seconds Saturday at Saratoga.

“He certainly gives us the feeling that he’s going to appreciate some more distance, and his pedigree would suggest it, too. He looks good and his final work was good. He’s been moved down to Belmont,” Brown said. “He’s ready to run.”

Bred in Kentucky by Rigney Racing, Chancer McPatrick is out of the winning Bernardini mare Bernadreamy with his second dam being Grade 1-winner Dream Empress. He was a $725,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training after initially selling for $260,000 in the 2023 Fasig Tipton July Select Yearling Sale.

Prat returns to the irons from post 10.

Also hoping to maintain an unblemished record is R and H Stable’s Mo Plex, whose 3-for-3 record includes a win in the Grade 3 Sanford on July 13 at the Spa for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. The New York-bred son of Complexity was a 10-length winner of his June 20 debut against state-breds at the Big A, and proved that win was no fluke with his pacesetting Sanford score.

He followed with a determined last-out score against state-breds in the six-furlong Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital on August 25, where he stumbled at the start and was the farthest off the pace he had been in his career when tracking in second one length off the pace through the first half. He battled on valiantly in the stretch to win by a nose in a thrilling photo finish with Soontobeking, earning a 71 Beyer in victory.

Bred by Everything’s Cricket Racing, Mo Plex is out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Mo Joy and was purchased for $45,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Manny Franco picks up the mount from post 4.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher saddles two in search of a record-extending seventh win in this event, bringing the talented pair of Saratoga six-furlong debut maiden winners Tip Top Thomas [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Uncaged [post 5, Joel Rosario].

James Bakke’s Tip Top Thomas earned an 85 Beyer for a prominent head victory on August 24, dueling with Rookie Card throughout with neither colt willing to let the other go by. The two threw it down in the stretch in a thrilling finish as the pouncing Keewaydin loomed on their outside, resulting in a three-way photo that went to Tip Top Thomas by a head over Rookie Card, who was a nose better than Keewaydin. The final time was 1:10.46.

The son of Volatile was a $160,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Consolidator mare Attempt to Name, who also produced multiple stakes-winner Gray Attempt.

WinStar Farm and Repole Stable’s Uncaged won with a stalk-and-pounce trip on August 3, coming from two lengths off the pace under Irad Ortiz, Jr. to sweep six-wide in the stretch and draw off by 1 3/4-lengths in a final time of 1:10.55. He was awarded an 84 Beyer.

The Curlin bay was a $450,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the graded stakes-winning Pioneerof the Nile mare Dark Nile.

Recent maiden-winner Vekoma Rides [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche] makes a quick return for trainer John Kimmel after graduating in a six-furlong sprint on September 14 here.

Campaigned by Nedlaw Stable, Denholtz Stables, Dennis Drazin and Jerold Zaro, the son of Vekoma sat a close third under returning rider Kendrick Carmouche just behind the dueling Math Tutor and McHale. Vekoma Rides settled two lengths back after a half-mile in 47.74, but Carmouche turned him loose in the turn to easily take a 3 1/2 lead at the stretch call. Vekoma Rides bounded clear down the stretch to post the five-length score in a final time of 1:12.81 and was geared down at the wire.

“He’s doing quite well and it wasn’t an all-in kind of race,” Kimmel said. “He won with some gas left in the tank, and he came out of it in good order. Kendrick had confidence when he rode him, and told me he doesn’t think more distance will be an issue for this horse. He’s always said every time he breezed him that he has a nice turn of foot and getting tired is not something he has experienced.”

Kimmel added he is not concerned about running the chestnut back in three weeks.

“It was an easy race for him. If it was a gut-wrenching performance, maybe we’d have to consider giving him more time,” Kimmel said. “He’s kind of a tough horse to be around, a bully in the stall pushing you around. He thinks he’s the man. We’ll see what happens. It’s a race that has a lot of pluses if you win and not a lot of minuses if you don’t.”

Vekoma Rides most recently sold for $150,000 at the OBS June Sale of 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age, where Kimmel and Nick Sallusto signed the ticket. The two notably paired up to also sign the ticket for Chancer McPatrick when he sold at OBS in April.

Vekoma Rides is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Happy Now, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire turf specialists Ironicus and On Leave, as well as graded stakes-winners Quiet Harbor and Norumbega.

Completing the field are Grade 2-placed Smoken Wicked [post 7, Dylan Davis] for trainer Dallas Stewart; stakes-winner J J Zo Zo [post 1, Jorge Ruiz] for trainer Jose Sanchez; and maiden-winners Executive Order [post 9, Jose Lezcano] for trainer Phil Serpe, Lethal Speed [post 3, Jose Gomez] for conditioner Shivananda Parbhoo, and Colonel Bob [post 8, Mychel Sanchez] for trainer Butch Reid, Jr.

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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