Patriot Spirit pressed the pace and powered away late to post a 1 1/2-length score. (Chelsea Durand)
Race Presented By Army Mule is “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint
By Keith McCalmont
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – George Mellon’s Patriot Spirit pressed the pace and powered away late to post a 1 1/2-length score in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Vosburgh presented by Army Mule, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, at Belmont at the Big A. The victory provided a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar.
Trained by Michael Campbell and piloted by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, the 4-year-old Constitution colt pestered 28-1 longshot Light the Way before taking over to score emphatically over the late-running Crazy Mason. Patriot Spirit made the grade out of a similar pressing four-length score in the seven-furlong Reigh Count on July 26 at Colonial Downs.
“I expected the effort,” Campbell said. “I don’t want to sound like I’m pompous or anything because it is diffic
ult to win a horse race, there is nothing more difficult. On this occasion, in this spot, with this horse being that right, I didn’t think he could get beat. I’m pretty good at that, normally.
“It was two things, his race at Colonial was so spectacular,” he added. “Rarely do I go home at night and dream about how a horse runs because they are supposed to win especially as the favorite, but when you’ve been in the game as long as I’ve been, what happens is you recognize those watershed moments in a horse’s career where ‘this guy is finally turning the corner.’ He’s run all big races, he’s won six out of 15 starts, but it was that race that triggered something in him and in me to come here with confidence.”
Kendrick Carmouche sent Light the Way to the lead through a sharp quarter-mile in 22.76 seconds over the fast main track with Patriot Spirit battling to his outside and Doc Sullivan keeping close watch from third position.
The frontrunners continued their battle through the turn and into the stretch run as Scotland advanced with an inside move before tipping out to launch his bid to the inside of Doc Sullivan. Patriot Spirit put away a determined Light the Way nearing the sixteenth pole as Crazy Mason launched his trademark late run up the rail, but there was no catching Patriot Spirit, who crossed the wire first in a final time of 1:21.84.
Castellano said he loved the way Patriot Spirit finished off the race.
“Not too many horses do that when they go fast at the beginning of the race – they always tend a little bit to slow down, but he didn’t,” Castellano said. “He fought all the way to the end, I like that. Galloping out good. Beautiful. It’s a great feeling.”
Crazy Mason completed the exacta by a half-length over Scotland, who was a neck better than Doc Sullivan. Light the Way, Nash, The Golden Gorilla and Baby Yoda rounded out the order of finish. Super Chow, who is entered in Sunday’s Wilmington at Delaware Park, scratched.
Manny Franco said the Gregg Sacco-trained Crazy Mason, winner of the Grade 2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets here in April, performed well in defeat.
“He ran great again. He always tries his best out there. He’s running with the best horses in the country, so I’m happy with the way he ran,” Franco said.
The Breeders’ Cup-bound Patriot Spirit was making his fifth graded attempt with his best previous result coming with a fourth in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Essex Handicap in March at Oaklawn Park. He won the Illinois Derby last April at Hawthorne traveling nine-furlongs and the six-furlong Inaugural in December 2023 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Bred in Kentucky by Blue Heaven Farm, Patriot Spirit banked $110,000 in victory while improving his record to 15-6-2-1. He returned $7.22 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the $150,000 Gio Ponti in Race 8. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
