Donegal Momentum made the grade in his fourth attempt under Javier Castellano. (Chris Rahayel)
By Mary Eddy
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Donegal Racing’s Donegal Momentum proved superior over six rivals in Thursday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Poker, a one-mile inner turf route for older horses, on Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Tom Morley and confidently piloted by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, Donegal Momentum made the grade in his fourth attempt, his best previous finish a game third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November at Del Mar. An 8 1/4-length debut winner on dirt last year, Donegal Momentum has found his best stride on turf and has never finished off the board in six efforts over the lawn.
Morley said the scratch of the swift Filo Di Arianna this morning for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse left Donegal Momentum the lone speed in the race.
“When Mark came out this morning, it changed the dynamics of the race enormously,” Morley said. “When Mark was in the race, we were probably going to end up sitting second, and then you are in the difficult position of letting a horse, who is a good horse, have the lead. You have to be good enough to get by that horse as well. Today, when he came out, it made it a lot easier for us.
“We had the fastest horse in the race, there were probably a couple of horses in there that needed a strong gallop, and this horse is exceptionally fast,” Morley continued. “When he quickens, he really does quicken and I’ve said it all along, a mile on turf, on firm ground, is what I always believed he [wanted]. He got all the right conditions, and the right set up today, and he proved he is a good one.”
Donegal Momentum emerged well from the outermost post 7 and hustled up to the front while crossing over closer to the inside approaching the first turn and marking the opening quarter-mile in 24.34 over the firm footing.
Mischievous Angel was held tightly in second as Major Dude advanced up the inside to vie for second call, but Paco Lopez was intent on keeping position aboard Mischievous Angel as he and Major Dude jockeyed for position ahead of Depiction. Meanwhile, Donegal Momentum skipped through the half-mile in 48.09 and three-quarters in 1:11.53 with the running order remaining mostly the same as the field reached the top of the lane.
A powerful Donegal Momentum stormed down the stretch with bounding strides under a strong ride from Castellano as Major Dude made marginal progress and Mischievous Angel spun his wheels through seven-eighths in 1:22.66. The only horse to come running late was Intellect – who brushed with rivals at the start – but Donegal Momentum was already well clear as he crossed the wire 1 3/4 lengths in front in a final time of 1:34.22.
Intellect was three-quarter lengths the better of Major Dude with Cameo Performance completing the superfecta. Depiction, Sherlock’s Jewel and Mischievous Angel rounded out the order of finish. Filo Di Arianna and main track-only entrants Yo Daddy and Magnolia Midnight were scratched.
Castellano said the pacesetting trip went according to plan.
“He’s a nice horse. He was the lone speed in the race. We had a great post, and that’s exactly what I did,” Castellano said. “The horse had a lot of gas in the tank at the beginning, he broke well out of the gate, and I let him use a little speed to dictate the pace. They were pretty decent fractions, 24 [seconds] and change and 48, and when we went in 1:11 that’s when I started riding the horse. I liked the way he finished.”
Morley said the win was especially meaningful, and dedicated it to his late assistant John Attfield, who died late last year.
“It is huge. Winning graded stakes at Saratoga never gets old. Ever. I don’t care what anyone says, even the big guys enjoy it, honestly,” Morley said. “This horse has meant an awful lot. John Attfield was my assistant for a number of years, he sadly died in the fall of last year. He absolutely adored this horse, so this is for him.”
The next topflight target for Donegal Momentum is likely the Grade 1, $750,000 FanDuel Fourstardave on August 2 here, a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Del Mar. A potential steppingstone could be the Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso on July 5 at the Spa.
“We will think about the Kelso. He ran a big race here and is very fit. I said to Jerry [Crawford of Donegal Racing] at the beginning of the year, the race at Keeneland, the Poker, the Fourstardave and the race in the fall at Keeneland should be our four major targets for the year,” Morley said. “There is no reason not to go in the Kelso, in my opinion, but at the same time, we’ll assess the horse.”
Prat, aboard the Chad Brown-trained Intellect, said a squeezed beginning greatly compromised the 4-year-old Intello gelding.
“He got out at the break and found himself too far back on the soft pace, but he gave a great run,” Prat concluded.
Bred in Kentucky by Speedway Stable, Donegal Momentum improved his record to 10-5-2-1, which also includes a win in the Gio Ponti in October at Belmont at the Big A. The $375,000 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, out of the stakes-placed Malibu Moon mare Moon Dash, banked $165,000 in victory while returning $8.60 on a $2 win wager.
Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga Race Course for Day Three of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, featuring four Grade 1 events in the $750,000 New York presented by Rivers Casino [Race 12], the $500,000 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford [Race 9], the $500,000 DK Horse Acorn [Race 11], and the $500,000 Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing [Race 13]; along with the Grade 2, $300,000 Bed o’ Roses in Race 6; and the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup in Race 10. First post on the 14-race card is 11:40 a.m. Eastern with gates opening at 10 a.m.
