Belmont: Calidoscopio comes from far back to win Brooklyn
ELMONT, N.Y. - Reprising his last-to-first victory in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon last fall, the 10-year-old Calidoscopio made up 22 lengths in the final half-mile under Aaron Gryder to win Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Brooklyn Handicap at soggy Belmont Park.
Percussion, who made all the pace under John Velazquez, had to settle for second, five lengths ahead of Fast Falcon. Keep Me Informed, Ruler On Ice, Flashy Sunrise, Birdrun, and Quick Casablanca completed the order of finish.
The win was the 11th from 42 career starts for Calidoscopio, who has now pushed his lifetime earnings to $927,282.
Calidoscopio was so far back early in the race that his trainer, Mike Pupye, thought he was going to be eased.
But entering the far turn, he saw Calidoscopio begin to pick things up and began to feel confident.
“I knew he was in stride before the turn,” Puype said. “Even though he was still way back you could see he was in rhythm. In the Breeders’ Cup he did the same thing. He wasn’t even in the race and before you know it he just started gobbling up ground. He absolutely just exploded when it was time to do his thing.”
Aaron Gryder, a former New York-based jockey who hadn’t won at Belmont since 2005, said he just rode the horse like he did in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon, when he rallied from 20 lengths back to win that race. In the Tokyo City, his first race this year, Calidoscopio was placed closer to the pace and he finished a dull fifth.
“He showed that he can make up ground. He likes to just relax the first mile - it’s probably why he gets the distance so well,” Gryder said. “At the five-eighths pole I started picking them up. It takes him a little while to get going but he just keeps building with every stride.
“It was our plan to leave him back there and we were just hoping it was his plan to come catch them.”
Calidoscopio covered the 1 1/2 miles over the sloppy track in 2:31.64 and returned $17 to win.