‘BALLYDOYLE BONANZA’
Investec Epsom Derby a Work of art for Anthony van Dyck
ANTHONY VAN DYCK bided his time inside and halfway back in the field early in the 1 1/2 mile EPSOM DERBY (Group 1) on Saturday, sought seams in the stretch and darted through inside to win the famous race.
The son of Galileo – Believe’nsuccess by Exceed and Excel was making his 9th career start. The colt, owned by Mrs JOhn Magnier, Michael tabor and Derrick Smith was the 7th Derby winner for trainer Aidan O’Brien.
The colt had been 9th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year but had won a 12 furlong listed race off the layoff this spring.
MORE PINK and some RED AND GOLD
Saturday Woodbine
PINK LLOYD rolled to victory in the Greenwood Stakes worth $125,000 on Saturday, the Ontario bred 6 furlong stakes race that had been cancelled last weekend because of a thunderstorm. The extra week only delayed the inevitable for his rivals, especially two of them, Sumerian Bell and Circle of friends, who put on a wild show on the pace, going 21 2/5 for the first quarter while bombing down the backstretch. That only made things easier for Pink Lloyd who inhaled the fading speed and then held off charging Marten River to win for the 18 times in 23 races. His time was 1:08.98. He has now earned over 41.1 million for Entourage Stable and trainer Bob Tiller.
Sumerian Bell was eased to a walk but was reported to be okay bu his connections post-race.
Later on the card was the Grade 2 Connaught Cup worth a whopping $175,000. The 7 furlong turf dash lured newcomer EMMAUS, a European invader for trainer Conor Murphy, who had just missed winning the Elusive Quality Stakes in his first race on this side of the ocean (Belmont Park). Emmaus was actually a slight second choice to the Yorkton from the Chiefswood Stable. Stakes winner Curlin’s Honor and stakes placed El Tormenta were other contenders.
Sitting between rivals and covered up around the turn it was Sam-Son farms’ gelding EL TORMENTA who charged to victory under Luis Contreras , out-battling Emmaus through the late stretch. Curlin’s Honor was third while Savage Battle was a troubled fifth.
El Tormeta, who showed plenty of promise last year but also had haeadstrong tendencies, was coming off a turf race at Keeneland in which he was leaping and climbing early on soft turf at 5 1/2 furlongs. He went off at a fat 7 to 1 for trainer Gail Cox. The winner is by Stormy Atlantic from Torreadora by El Prado.
Trainer RICKY GRIFFITH won his first 2 races of the season as the 2yo Ontario bred filly BAY SOCIETY won an open maiden race in her second career start for owners Paul Braverman and Steven Duffield. Bred by Murray Stroud, the filly is the first winner by Stroud’s freshman stallion SEEK AGAIN (Speightstown) who won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby among other races.
Griffith’s other winner was SAV, an Ontario bred 3yo filly by Big Screen owned by Duffield.
The DON MACRAE barn continues to roll, winning the last race with BIONDETTI’S CHOICE, a big 5yo mare who won her maiden in this season debut on the grass. This gal is owned by MacRae and La Huerta Racing, the relatively new stable of Jim and Graeme Bruce.
The Bruce’s, MacRae and Michael Lay purchased last year’s sales-topping yearling, a filly by Old Forester, at the CTHS Sale, now named BOURBONSTRAIGHTUP.
Stewards for the AGCO were busy with a disqualification in race 2 on the grass of Gypsy Jazz who came in after the start. The stewards also continued to press the excessive whip violations as Jesse Campbell received a one day suspension from the win on Dragon Bay Friday and jockeys David Moran and Luis Contreras were set to meet Sunday for whip infactions in the Commaught Cup.
Wagering on the day was a whopping $6 million.
