Saturday at Belmont

After a long week I was finally able to watch a day of racing, concentrating mainly on Belmont.
For me, the highlight of the day was Monastic Springs (*GB) in the 7th. A MSW52K 7f (T). Monastic Springs is a son of the great sire Saddlers Wells and the first foal out of Ipi Tombe (*GB). Ipi Tombe was a champion 3yo in South Africa and 2003 Dubai Horse of the Year. She had a record of 12-2-0 from 14 starts and bankrolled $1,529,799. She was an absolutely beautiful animal. Alan Goldberg brought Monastic Springs to town and she was ridden by Edgar Prado.
He broke poorly from the gate in what seemed a very competitive field. I heard some comments around me cursing Prado for rushing him up after that start but I think it was much more that the colt was was into the bridle and Prado just let him get a rhythm before relaxing him a little. As the field was getting deep into the stretch Prado saw a seam and guided Monastic Springs toward it but the seam was slammed shut by He Struck it Rich who veered out. This caused Monastic Springs and Prado to start a chain reaction of contact as they were forced out to avoid clipping heals or worse. In the end he won by a neck that in no way illustrated how superior the colt was. But the colt did have to overcome one of the longest objections of recent memory to finally get credit. Here's how the chart reads:
Monastic Springs (GB) broke slow and was bumped off stride at the start, steadied early along the backstretch, checked on the far turn, waited along the rail on the turn, angled out in upper stretch, steadied behind the runner-up and swerved out bumping Bob's Star inside the furlong marker then finished with a flourish to get up in the final strides.

This is a horse to watch! I was feeling pretty good about my pick 3 at this point having singled Willsboro Point ($10.80) in the 6th and I had Monastic Springs ($27.80) along with the favorite Bob's Star in the 7th and I had half the field in the 8th. Of course rechecking the 8th I felt I made a big mistake in leaving out Monster Drive and I did as he won and the pick 3 paid ($511) I had to leave after that as I don't wager smartly after making a blunder like that.

However, I arrived home to watch Mauralakana win The Sheepshead Bay H. with a impressive late turn of foot for Christophe Clement and K. Desormeaux.

In the third, By the Light did her imitation of Big Brown for Richard Dutrow. The winning margin of about 2 lengths doesn't portray how in hand the victory was.

The pick six began and was over in the 5th when Halation, Lycius- Charmed Aura (Halo) rallied to win paying $146! While the colts breeding did suggest turf ability his PP's suggested little or no ability, go figure! There were a few handicappers around me dancing reciting their 'Samyn on the green' chant but even after considering his breeding I wouldn't have him figured if I went 4 deep. However, Halation's trainer, David Prine is a great human interest story.
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Tommorow in the 2nd consider Vicarious. Allen Jerkins trains and C. Velasquez is up.