Mentee victorious in his racing debut (NYRA/Coglianese)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Repole Stable’s Mentee, a full-brother to Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fierceness, made an auspicious debut Saturday at Belmont at the Big A with a frontrunning nose score under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in a five-furlong maiden special weight.
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 2-year-old City of Light bay broke alertly from the outermost post 7 and established command through splits of 22.37 seconds and 44.80 over the fast main track.
Mentee opened up by a seemingly insurmountable five lengths at the stretch call but was asked for more in the late stages when Colloquial – a debuting son of Vekoma – kicked into gear to bridge the gap and create a thrilling photo finish. Mentee held on by the slimmest of margins in a final time of 56.97 and garnered an 88 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. The final time eclipsed the previous course record of 57 flat set by Bazaar on June 6, 1963.
“We knew it was going to be fast, that’s for sure. Bad post, and I had to clear everybody out of there,” Velazquez said after the race. “He ran a little green, I probably should’ve gotten after him down the lane, make sure he keeps his mind on the business, but he still held on.”
Velazquez said he rode with confidence.
“He came back [to the field] a little bit. He was a little tired. Also, being green,” Velazquez said. “I never really got after him. I kind of just showed him the crop, I didn’t want to overdo it, but he held on.”
The Hall of Fame rider guided Fierceness to Grade 1 wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Santa Anita and the Florida Derby in March at Gulfstream Park ahead of an off-the-board effort as the mutuel favorite in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs.
Velazquez said that Mentee definitely reminds him of Fierceness.
“Yes, very much so,” Velazquez said.
Mentee is out of the winning Stay Thirsty mare Nonna Bella, who produced the dual Grade 1-winner Fierceness.
Owner Mike Repole indicated on the social media platform X that Mentee would point to the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford, a six-furlong sprint on July 13 at Saratoga Race Course.
