Jean Valjean battles back on the inside to take the Disco Partner, NYRA Photo
Christian Abdo
Martha Nevins and Michael Pawasarat’s pacesetting Jean Valjean battled back along the inside of Determined Kingdom to capture Sunday’s restricted $150,000 Disco Partner, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up who have not won a graded sweepstakes in 2025-26, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Elizabeth Merryman, the 7-year-old Uncle Lino gelding wired the five-furlong Pennsylvania-bred Marshall Jenney last out under jockey Jomar Torres on August 14 at Penn National.
On Sunday, with Torres at the Spa to ride, Jean Valjean employed the same frontrunning tactics, and despite briefly surrendering his lead late in the lane, fought back to prevail by a neck at odds of 8-1.
“I was worried that he [Determined Kingdom] might just blow on past him, but when he didn’t and when he [Jean Valjean] kept digging and fighting back, I was like, ‘we might have a shot here, he’s digging in pretty good,’” Merryman said. “It was a huge comeback. They don’t often go that fast early and re-rally to fight it out and win it. I was proud of his determination.”
Jean Valjean exited the inside post sharply to lead through an opening quarter-mile in 21.70 seconds over the firm turf while pressured mildly by 39-1 longshot Billionaires Row with Determined Kingdom saving ground to his inside under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.
The complexion up front remained unchanged until the top of lane when Billionaires Row retreated and Velazquez angled Determined Kingdom out as the half-mile went in 44.51.
Once straightened for home, Jean Valjean clung to a narrow lead with Determined Kingdom drawing up to his outside, while Stars and Strides rallied up the rail and the favored Creditworthy launched his bid from the back.
Nearing the eighth-pole, Determined Kingdom headed Jean Valjean, who showed heart to reclaim his lead inside the final sixteenth and prevail in a final time of 1:01.82.
“He really tried,” said Torres. “He’s a good horse and he really tries, and he did it today again. We broke and whatever he wanted, I let him do it. I just want to go home and see the replay again because it was a good race. It means a lot to win [here at Saratoga].”
It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Creditworthy in third, with Heart Headed completing the superfecta. Bite and Strike, Stars and Strides and Billionaires Row rounded out the order of finish. No Evidence, runner-up in a Friday optional claimer here, was scratched, along with main track-only entrants Buttah and Paradise Valley.
Velazquez said the Michael Trombetta-trained Determined Kingdom was game in defeat.
“He ran a good race,” Velazquez said. “The best horse won today. For a second, I thought I was going to have him, but he came back on me. I got a good neck in front of him, but I couldn’t hold on.”
Jean Valjean, bred by Hasting Farm, is out of the winning Tale of the Cat mare Lady’s Tale.
“The owner bred him and they’re such nice people,” said Merryman, whose lone other Spa score was with her homebred Caravel in the 2021 Grade 3 Caress. “They’re absolutely wonderful, and this is their only horse in training right now. It’s pretty cool.”
Merryman indicated that Jean Valjean could be considered for a potential next start in the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint on September 26 at Belmont Park.
Jean Valjean banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 24-10-1-3 and returning $18.08 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Monday at Saratoga for Closing Day of the summer meet with a 12-race card featuring the $200,000 Funny Cide in Race 10 and the $200,000 Gio Ponti in Race 11. First post is 11:30 a.m. Eastern.
Saratoga Live presents daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.
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