ELMONT, N.Y. – Class prevailed in the inaugural running of the $100,000 Oyster Bay as Klaravich Stables’ Value Proposition backed up his 4-5 favoritism to capture the seven-furlong event for 3-year-olds and upward over the Widener turf at Belmont Park.
Value Proposition, trained by Chad Brown, has finished in the money in all six starts this year, and entered the Oyster Bay off a 2 ¾-length triumph in the Red Bank on September 4 at Monmouth Park over good turf.
Breaking from post 7 under Luis Saez, Value Proposition was forwardly-placed as Battle Station assumed command and led the field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.59 seconds over good ground. Value Proposition was one path to his outside in second as Pulsate settled in between horses in third.
Battle Station maintained his advantage around the turn with the half-mile completed in 46.84 seconds as Saez started getting busy aboard Value Proposition. Nearing the three-sixteenths pole, Value Proposition gained slight command under right-handed encouragement from Saez and powered away in deep stretch, drawing off to a 2 ¾-length score in a final time of 1:23.03.
Pulsate fought gamely to hold second from late challengers Fauci and Maxwell Esquire, who dead heated for third. Completing the order of finish were Backtohisroots, Made You Look, Battle Station and Emaraaty.
Ballydooley, Flavius, Buy Land and See, Guildsman, and main track only entrants Wendell Fong and Lil Commissioner were scratched.
“We had a perfect trip. He broke pretty nice and we were just there waiting for the top of the stretch,” Saez said. “He gave me a good run and a good finish. It was a great race and I’m happy with the way he ran. When he came to the top of the stretch, he switched leads and took off.”
Brown, who has trained multiple progenies of Dansili, noted how most offspring of the late sire prefer firm ground.
“Most of the Dansilis prefer firm turf so he’s a bit of an outlier for that [good turf] given his pedigree,” said Brown, who saddled his tenth stakes winner at the Belmont fall meet.
Brown credited Saez with engineering a well-executed ride.
“I gave Luis some valuable information about the horse, not only that he lugs in a bit but when he does it and how he does it – and he took advantage of it,” Brown said. “He was ready and when he turned for home he immediately gave himself a couple paths away from other horses and he had his stick in his left hand ready for that horse. He ran a little bit like a snake down the lane – in and out of lanes – but he had control of this horse and he got the job done. I’m proud of him. It goes to show how far Luis has come as one of the top jockeys in the country. This is not an easy horse to ride but I’d be confident to put Luis on any kind of horse.”
Brown did not rule out running back Value Proposition in the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship on November 27.
“Six [furlongs] might be a little quick for him, but it depends on what type of pace you have and how the track is playing. We’ll think about it,” Brown said.
Value Proposition returned $3.70 for a $2 win bet. He enhanced his lifetime earnings to $414,773 through a record of 12-6-1-3.
Bred in Great Britain by Meon Valley Stud, Value Proposition is out of the Diktat mare Dash to the Front. He is a half-brother to multiple Group 1-winning mare Speedy Boarding.
Live racing returns Saturday at Belmont Park for Empire Showcase Day. The ten-race card features six stakes races worth $1.35 million, topped by the $300,000 Empire Classic and $250,000 Empire Distaff. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
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Belmont Park Press Release
