Grand Arch gets the trip in G2 Fourstardave

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Jim and Susan Hill's Grand Arch struck the front in mid-stretch and had just enough left to hold off a late charge from 2-1 favorite Ironicus and take the Grade 2, $500,000 Fourstardave on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

Grand Arch, a 6-year-old son of Arch, won his 2015 debut in promising fashion on April 15 at Keeneland, but had failed to recapture that form in two subsequent starts: a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs and a fifth in the Forbidden Apple at Belmont Park.

Under Luis Saez on Saturday, Grand Arch worked out a perfect stalking trip behind champion New York-bred King Kreesa, who led the field through moderate splits of 24.20 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, 48.30 for the half, and 1:12.03 through three-quarters. 

Eased off the rail turning for home, Grand Arch took off after the front-runner, collaring him at the eighth pole and gamely fending off Ironicus, who swung widest into the stretch and closed furiously to be second, with defending champion Seek Again in third.

The victory was redemption for Grand Arch, who a year earlier received a similar trip in the Fourstardave before being nipped on the wire by Seek Again. 

"He's a horse that we've sort of campaigned toward this time of year," said winning trainer Brian Lynch. "He usually gets good and we were hoping he was going to bring his 'A' game today. We felt like he needed his last race there at Belmont but he certainly ran big in this race last year and he got the job done today.

 "I'm a big fan of King Kreesa's after his last couple of races, and to beat him in a hard-fought stretch drive, it was a thrilling race," Lynch added. "When the fractions came up I thought King Kreesa was ridden very comfortably the way he was looking around. I thought he had a lot more gas in the tank, but Luis never let him get too far out of reach and we were able to grind him down." 

Grand Arch completed one mile in 1:34.65 on Saratoga's inner turf course and returned $18.20 on a $2 win wager. The bay gelding boosted his career earnings to just over $1 million with the winner's share of $300,000.

Despite a final quarter run in 22.62 seconds, the Shug McGaughey-trained Ironicus made up several lengths in the stretch to miss by a neck, while it was another neck back to Seek Again. The 4-year-old Distorted Humor colt was making only his second foray into stakes company. Earlier this year, he won the Grade 2 Dixie at Pimlico in runaway fashion in his previous stakes appearance.

"When they left the eighth pole I thought maybe he'd do it," said McGaughey, who trains Ironicus for Stuart Janney, III. "Javier said he moved a little sooner than he wanted to. No pace, no trip. Javier was very pleased with the way he kicked. I'm disappointed we lost, but I'm not disappointed in the effort. Hats off to Grand Arch."

King Kreesa, Mshawish, Jack Milton, Grand Tito and Skyring completed the order of finish.