Asbury Park makes the grade in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational (Joe Labozzetta)
Keith McCalmont/NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Peter Brant and St. Elias Stable’s Asbury Park rallied to a two-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, an 11-furlong inner turf test for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.
It was a second stakes victory on the afternoon for Franco, five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown and co-owner and breeder St. Elias Stable, adding to Rated by Merit’s frontrunning win in the restricted $125,000 Discovery in Race 2. In victory, Asbury Park followed in the footsteps of his dual Group 2-winning half-brother Spanish Mission, who captured the 2019 Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park.
“It was a really fairly run race. The pace was honest enough and he [Manny Franco] – after leaving with good intent to get the pace going – was able to guide him back towards the rear and towards the fence and covered up. That’s where he wants to be. He really worked out a good trip from there. That’s a couple nice stakes wins today with Manny – he’s done a great job for us,” Brown said.
The Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Crudo showed the way through splits of 23.79 seconds, 48.30 and 1:14.02 over the firm footing while stalked closely by his Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Noble Confessor and the ground-saving A Bourbon for Toby in third.
Asbury Park was settled comfortably in next-to-last in the field of seven but moved up willingly down the backstretch as Crudo led into the final turn. Crudo spun the field into the stretch run as Woodbine-based raider Hammerhead launched a furious rally up the rail but was stymied by the retreating A Bourbon for Toby. Asbury Park, who tipped out late in the turn, found clear sailing and lifted late to notch the victory in a final time of 2:14.45.
Franco, the meet’s leading rider, said he was able to work out a patient trip.
ASBURY PARK gets his first stakes win in the Grade 2 Jockey Club Derby Invitational with @jockeyfranco up for trainer Chad Brown. Another stakes win today for Manny! pic.twitter.com/OjDyFzbn74
— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) October 4, 2025
“They told me to try to be – if I can – try to be behind the speed, but as soon as we break and everybody went for position, they run away from me. I just take my time,” Franco said. “After that, I rode my race from there. I was comfortable where I was. He was traveling well. Man, going to the three-eighths pole, I had a lot of horse. I just tried to find the room, when I get the room, he explode for me.”
Noble Confessor completed the exacta by a half-length over the Brown-trained favorite Hill Road, who lugged in at the top of the lane before straightening out and closing well for third. Crudo, Hammerhead, Game Warrior and A Bourbon for Toby rounded out the order of finish.
Asbury Park, by Frankel, graduated at second asking in June at Saratoga Race Course and entered from a rallying 1 1/4-length third in the Spa’s restricted Listed Saranac on September 1.
Brown indicated Asbury Park could point to the nine-furlong Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on November 29 at Del Mar.
“I think that makes a lot of sense,” Brown said. “He’ll have to cut back to two turns, but he had a nice kick at Saratoga going two turns. He certainly found his way going a mile and three-eighths, so we’ll see.”
Bred in Great Britain by St. Elias Stable, Asbury Park banked $275,000 in victory while improving his record to 5-2-0-1. He returned $6.96 for a $2 win bet. Asbury Park is out of the Listed stakes-winning Street Cry mare Limonar – a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Talco.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the Grade 3, $175,000 Waya in Race 6. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
