Belmont: Speed of Pocket Cowboys, late kick of Gitchee Goomie decisive

Pocket Cowboys used his speed while Gitchee Goomie utilized her late-closing kick to win separate divisions of $100,000 turf stakes for New York-breds at Belmont Park.

Pocket Cowboys, under Edgar Prado, assumed the lead soon after the start in the Kingston Stakes, then turned back a challenge from the stalking Lubash in upper stretch to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Lubash finished second by two lengths over Spa City Fever. It was a neck back to Scientist, who was followed in the order of finish by Pretty Boy Freud, Banrock, Piazza Di Spagna, and Uncle T Seven, the 8-5 favorite.

Pocket Cowboys carved out fractions of 23.54, seconds, 47.42, and, 1:11.32 before completing the mile in 1:34.38. He returned $10.80 to win.

“We tried to go to the lead and slow it down, and it seems to have worked out beautifully,’’ Prado said. “He was in control and finished strong. He’s a game horse, and if someone challenges him, he always gives a little more.”

Pocket Cowboys, who won the $125,000 Mohawk here last October to end his 4-year-old season, won for the sixth time from 21 starts and pushed his earnings past $400,000. Pocket Cowboys is bred, owned, and trained by Scott Schwartz.

“I’ve bred a few nice horses, but this one is special,’’ Schwartz said. “He can do it on the dirt, which he did as a 3-year-old, and he turned out to be a phenomenal turf horse. His first career start was on the grass, and I brought him back as a 4-year-old last year specifically for the grass. He’s bred for it. When the money is on the line, in the big races, that’s when he does his best. Edgar rode him perfectly, like he always does.”

Earlier on the card, Gitchee Goomie, under Alan Garcia, stormed down the center of Belmont’s Widener turf course and outfinished Paraiba to win the Mount Vernon for fillies and mares by one-half length. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to Chorus Music, the 6-5 favorite in third. She was followed in the order of finish by Akilina, Frivolous Buck, and Exclusive Scheme. Loyal Shadow was a vet scratch at the starting gate.

It was the third victory from the last four starts for Gitchee Goomie, dating back to last Oct. 29 when she won an open company overnight stakes at Belmont. Her lone loss since then was a neck decision to Daveron in the Grade 3 Beaugay here on May 7.

“My only concern was that she break good coming out of the gate,’’ Garcia said. “When she did, I thought, ‘That’s half the battle won’. After the start, I was so comfortable with where she was. I had to wait until turning for home to let her do her thing, and she did.”

Gitchee Goomie, a 4-year-old daughter of City Zip owned by Patsy Symons and trained by Rick Violette, covered the mile in 1:35.36 and returned $6.60 as the second choice.