Belmont Park: Trappe Shot wins stakes in return to racing

ELMONT, N.Y. - He started slow but finished fast and now Trappe Shot may be ready to make an impact in the sprint division this year.

Making his first start in eight months, Trappe Shot overcome a stumble at the start to wear down the five-time Grade 2 winner D' Funnybone and win Wednesday's $60,000 Waldeboro Stakes at Belmont Park. It was two lengths back to Rule by Night in third. Deputy Daney, who set the early pace, finished last, beaten 13 lengths. This Ones for Phil and Sunrise Smarty scratched.

Breaking from post 3 under John Velazquez, Trappe Shot broke so hard that he stumbled a bit while veering toward the inside. He quickly righted himself and was outside of D' Funnyone as both were chasing Deputy Daney, who opened up a five-length lead after running an opening quarter in 22.37 seconds.

D' Funnybone, under Edgar Prado, and Trappe Shot moved in tandem after Deputy Daney and collared him by the quarter pole. D' Funnybone, who had raced once already this year, maintained a short advantage until inside the sixteenth pole, when Trappe Shot persevered past. Trappe Shot, a 4-year-old son of Tapit owned by the Brady family's Mill House Stable and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, covered six furlongs in 1:09.03. He returned $3.90 as the odds-on choice.

Velazquez, who was riding Trappe Shot for the first time, felt the stumble may have actually helped his horse's chances.

"He caught himself before he actually stumbled and got up right away, but it was perfect because I didn't want to be in between the horses," Velazquez said. "I know Prado wants [D' Funnybone] to be on the outside, so once he cleared me it was perfect. Now I'm on the outside of him, I know his horse is a little timid when you have somebody outside of him."

Trappe Shot hadn't been out since finishing ninth as the 7-2 favorite in the Travers last August. Trappe Shot is now 5 for 5 in one-turn races and will likely target the Grade 2, $250,000 True North Handicap here on June 11.

"He's going to hopefully improve from the run," McLaughlin said. "He came back just a bigger, stronger horse this year. He didn't break real well again - he's not great at the gate, but he ran very well."