Adelaide wins Secretariat despite drifting
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- Adelaide wound up closer to the grandstand than the inner rail as he passed the finish line in the Secretariat Stakes, but he also wound up in the winner’s circle.
Despite drifting out dramatically in the final 1 1/2 furlongs, Adelaide chugged home a 1 1/2-length winner over pacesetting Tourist in the Grade 1, $500,000 Secretariat Stakes.
“He was the best horse in the race going into it,” said jockey Ryan Moore, who won his first Secretariat. “Just thought we would keep it simple.”
Adelaide’s victory was a popular one: He paid $4.20 to win as the heavy favorite, giving trainer Aidan O’Brien his third Secretariat win. Tourist, the clear second choice, completed a paltry $11.60 Secretariat exacta, and was followed home by Sheldon, who was a head better than Global View. Winning time for the mile and a quarter on firm turf was 2:02.31.
Tourist, the race’s lone speed, crossed over from an outside draw and took a clear lead under Joel Rosario, setting moderate splits of 24.97, 48.93, and 1:13.54. General Jack stalked the pace in second, and Moore seemed intent on making certain Adelaide stayed within striking distance of the leader. With Moore niggling at him, Adelaide raced third down the backstretch and around the far turn, and when General Jack moved up to challenge before the quarter-pole, Adelaide tipped three deep with his bid.
“I had to move up a little earlier than I wanted,” Moore said.
This was Adelaide’s second trip to the U.S. In the July 5 Belmont Derby Invitational he had taken the lead in midstretch, only to be run down late by Mr Speaker. Briefly, it looked like another difficult loss was in play as Adelaide failed to straighten up properly and drifted farther and farther out into the course after making the lead. But he maintained his momentum and finished well enough to hold clear Tourist, who battled gamely to the finish.
“He’s run in France, Ireland, England, America, and America again,” said Moore. “He’s a very tough horse.”
Adelaide, an Irish-bred by Galileo out of Elletelle, won for the third time in six starts. A half-interest in the colt was sold to Australian interests before the Secretariat, and Adelaide – aptly, given his name – could continue his 3-year-old campaign in Australia.