Deterministic lowers track record with dominant G2 Fort Marcy romp

St. Elias Stable, Vicarage Stable, Ken Langone and Steven Duncker’s Deterministic crushed the outer turf track record with a front-running triumph in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy, a nine-furlong route for older horses, at Belmont at the Big A.
 
Trained by Christophe Clement, the Grade 1-placed 4-year-old son of Liam’s Map bested the previous record of 1:46.10 by 4/10ths of a second, completing the course in 1:45.70 after dictating terms under Kendrick Carmouche, who rode the dark bay for the first time in the afternoon. Additionally, Deterministic led a Clement-trained exacta as dual Grade 1-winner Carson’s Run closed from last-of-5 to finish second in his 4-year-old debut.
 
The win came in Deterministic’s second start off a five-month layoff, which ended on April 6 with a pacesetting runner-up effort in a nine-furlong off-the-turf allowance at Keeneland.
 
Christophe Lorieul, assistant to Clement, said the first effort off the layoff was key to Deterministic’s effort Saturday.
 
“The only thing we were a touch worried about with Deterministic is it came off the turf last time at Keeneland and he had kind of a hard race coming off the bench like that,” Lorieul said. “But, it set him up great. He went to the lead and never looked back. He was quite impressive.”
 
In the Fort Marcy, Deterministic was sharp from post 3 and quickly assumed command under the wire for the first time and through an opening quarter-mile in 24.19 seconds over the firm footing. Multiple Chilean Group 1-winner Kay Army, who was previously undefeated in 10 Chilean starts, applied mild pressure in second down the backstretch with last year’s Fort Marcy-winner Master Piece and turf-debuting Tuscan Sky ahead of the trailing Carson’s Run.
 
Deterministic bounded through the half-mile in 47.93 and three-quarters in 1:10.48 as Kay Army was given his cue to challenge on the outside and Master Piece and Tuscan Sky faded behind the oncoming Carson’s Run, who unleashed a strong sustained run widest of all under regular pilot Dylan Davis.
 
Kay Army was already under a strong ride at the top of the lane and couldn’t close the gap between him and the runaway Deterministic, who held a four-length advantage at the stretch call. Carson’s Run gained with each stride to the outside of an all-out Kay Army, but could not reel in his stablemate as Deterministic crossed the wire 4 1/2 lengths in front.
 
Carson’s Run landed second 3 1/4 lengths ahead of Kay Army with Master Piece and Tuscan Sky completing the order of finish. Main track-only entrant Magnolia Midnight was scratched.
 
Carmouche, who also won the Fort Marcy in 2019 with Olympico, praised the training job by Clement to have Deterministic primed for the effort.
 
"Christophe had this horse right. He ran a good race last time off the bench,” Carmouche said. “This horse was really sharp. I just broke this horse good and let him do his thing. He brought me to the winner’s circle. I just had to guide him there. Every pole was a winning pole from what I could’ve felt.”
 
Lorieul added he was pleased with the effort from West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey’s Carson’s Run, who was returning from a nearly six-month layoff.
 
“A good effort from Carson. We’re very proud of him, too,” Lorieul said. “His first time out this year and maybe a touch short for him. He made a nice move around the turn and he dug in to be second. Maybe it will be a different outcome next time.”
 
Davis, aboard the son of Cupid for wins last year in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational and 1 3/8-mile Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational here, said the compact field in his first race back worked against Carson’s Run.
 
“[He] usually finds himself towards the end of the pack,” Davis said. “Saved some ground. I got into him a little around the three-eighths pole, I wheeled him out and he gave me a great finish. Deterministic ran pretty strong today. This is setting Carson up nice, with a solid second. I think we are going to stretch him back out, even more. He definitely handles three turns and he is going to be in good order. He came back well. I always like riding him.”

Deterministic now boasts three graded victories over turf and one over dirt, adding to a determined neck score in the Grade 3 Virginia Derby [turf] in September at Colonial Downs, and previous local wins in the Grade 3 Hill Prince over the lawn in November and the Grade 3 Gotham last March over sloppy and sealed footing. Never off-the-board over the grass, Deterministic flipped the results of the Jockey Club Derby in September when three-quarter-lengths back of Carson’s Run.
 
Bred in Kentucky by Hinkle Farms, Deterministic was a $625,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Speightstown mare Giulio’s Jewel, a half-sister to Grade 2-placed Duff One. He banked $110,000 in victory while returning $6.20 on a $2 win ticket as the post-time favorite. 

Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont at the Big A with a 10-race program that includes the Listed License Fee [Race 3], Grade 3 Vagrancy [Race 7], Grade 3 Beaugay [Race 8], and Grade 3 Westchester [Race 9]. 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 spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
 
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.