Aspen Grove ($33.40) surges from outside post to take Belmont Oaks
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ELMONT, N.Y. - The Irish invader Aspen Grove received a stellar ride from Oisin Murphy to record a 15-1 upset in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Belmont Oaks at Belmont Park.
Murphy was able to get Aspen Grove from the outside post to the hedge before the first turn, saved ground down the backside and found room for his filly when needed in the stretch to run down a game front-runner Prerequisite to win the Oaks by three-quarters of a length. Prerequisite finished second by a neck over Papilio, who overcame a bad stumble at the start under Javier Castellano to get third.
Aspray finished fourth and was followed in the order of finish by Freydis the Red, Speirling Beag, favored Mission of Joy, Strikingly Spun and Be Your Best.
Murphy, a champion rider in England, was making his Belmont debut Saturday. He was riding in the U.S. for the first time since the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, his last mount being Marche Lorraine, who upset that race at odds of 49-1.
As most foreign-based do first time in the U.S., Aspen Grove broke slow. In fact she broke outward leaving from post 9. But Murphy hustled her enough where she got to the hedge entering the first turn. Down the backside she was about five lengths behind the leaders, Prerequisite and Be Your Best, who were within a half-length of each other through six furlongs in 1:16.63.
Murphy had a good hold of his filly while between horses down the backstretch.
Coming to the top of the stretch, Mission of Joy and Aspray joined the leaders, leaving Aspen Grove behind a wall of four. But when Be Your Best began to fade, that left room for Murphy to get Aspen Grove to the outside. Aspen Grove was able to get by Prerequisite inside the sixteenth pole.
“I was very happy because I was able to save ground down towards the rail and when the pace stopped in front of me I was able to get on the back of a horse going forward and then able to switch out in the straight,” Murphy said. “It wasn’t a difficult ride.”
Aspen Grove, a daughter of Justify owned by Glen Hill Farms and Susan Magnier, covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:04.09 and returned $33.40 to win. Aspen Grove earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure.
Trainer James Stack said the slow start didn’t concern him based on how well Aspen Grove recovered and got into position.
“[Murphy] was just right behind them, it wasn’t as though he was in the back,” Stack said. “He gave her a good ride, the [room] came at the right time, the wire came in time. It worked out well.”
Prerequisite, coming off a front-running victory in the Grade 2 Wonder Again, was trying to pull that same trip again Saturday under Irad Ortiz Jr. She withstood pressure from Be Your Best, then Mission of Joy and Aspray and turned them all aside but could not hold off Aspen Grove.
“The pace went good, she gave me everything, we turned for home and I felt like she was running,” Ortiz said. “Unlucky that we got beat.”
Castellano used the same word - unlucky - to describe his fortunes aboard Papilio, who went to her knees at the break and rallied from last to get third.
“She was standing pretty good, everything was right, they open the gate, boom, she just went,” Castellano said. “I was lucky to stay on. She ran very good.”
Craig Bernick, the proprietor of Glen Hill Farm, said Aspen Grove is likely to remain in the United States and could target either the Saratoga Oaks or the Del Mar Oaks this summer.
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