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Majestic Dunhill prevails in Bold Ruler (G3)

by Keith McCalmont

R. A. Hill Stable's Majestic Dunhill, under a confident ride from Joel Rosario, made the grade with a smart head score over multiple graded-stakes placed Share the Ride in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Bold Ruler, a seven-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park.

Trained by George Weaver, the 5-year-old Majesticperfection gelding started a step slow but tucked into second position as Share the Ride, third last out in the Grade 2 Vosburgh Invitational, marked off splits of 23.37 and 47.13 seconds on the muddy main track.

Share the Ride, with Manny Franco up, maintained the lead through the turn as Arch Cat threatened to the outside with Rosario opting for an inside run with Majestic Dunhill. A game Share the Ride stayed on strong down the lane, but the patient Rosario angled Majestic Dunhill off the rail late in the lane and surged outside his rival to secure the narrow score in a final time of 1:22.48. 

Share the Ride completed the exacta four lengths in front of Arch Cat, with Mihos completing a compact running order. Wendell Fong and Phat Man were scratched.

Rosario said he was pleased with the effort from the hard-trying Majestic Dunhill, the regular workout partner for Breeders' Cup-bound Vekoma.

"He ran really well," said Rosario. "I thought the Franco horse would have a little bit of speed. Going seven furlongs, I thought I would be laying second behind him and see where we go from there. He broke a little bit slow but he got going right away and I was able to find my spot where I wanted to be.

"When it was time to go, I asked him and he really moved nice and went on."

Blair Golen, Weaver's Belmont-based assistant, praised Majestic Dunhill's versatility.

"This horse has been good for us from when he was 2 to now. He's won races on the turf and dirt and always runs his best race even when we put him in a tough spot," said Golen. "We got fortunate here today and he really deserved a graded stakes win.

"Joel is a great rider," added Golen. "He has great hands and he's very smart. He knows when to let a horse run and he's good at feeling in the bridle where the horse is at and in a race like this closing and pace are important, he fits this horse well."

Majestic Dunhill, bred in Kentucky by Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm, banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 21-5-4-4. He paid $5.90 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont with a nice-race card to close out the fall meet featuring the $80,000 Pumpkin Pie, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up; and the $80,000 Chelsey Flower, a 1 1/16-mile turf route for juvenile fillies.

Closing Day will also be highlighted by a mandatory payout of the Empire 6, which boasts a jackpot of $419,254 heading into Sunday's racing action. The Empire 6 sequence kicks off in Race 4 with an approximate post time of 1:45 p.m. The card will also feature mandatory payouts for both the Early Pick 5 and Late Pick 5 wagers. First post is 12:15 p.m.

Live racing will then move to Aqueduct Racetrack for the 18-day fall meet, featuring 29 stakes, including 11 graded events, worth $3.41 million in purse money, which will kick off on Friday, November 6 and run through Sunday, December 6.