Brooklyn Invitational: Norumbega pulls off 10-1 upset

ELMONT, N.Y. – Norumbega made a furious rally in the final furlong to catch Micromanage near the wire and post a 10-1 upset Saturday in the Grade 2, $500,000 Brooklyn Invitational on the Belmont Stakes undercard at Belmont Park.

With Joel Rosario aboard for trainer Shug McGaughey, Norumbega returned $22.40 as the second-longest shot in a field of seven older horses. The 4-year-old Norumbega, a son of Tiznow, finished the 1 1/2-mile distance in 2:27.13 over a fast track.

Micromanage was a neck behind the winner and another half-length before Cat Burglar. It was another 11 1/4 lengths back to Ever Rider in fourth.

Ground Transport and Cat Burglar shared the lead for much of the way, with Micromanage getting a good trip from just behind them and Norumbega racing a few lengths farther back in fifth and in the clear. Approaching the stretch, Micromanage surged through a rail opening to take command, and he began edging clear inside the furlong pole. But then Rosario set down Norumbega, and the gray colts responded with his first stakes victory and fourth win from 13 overall starts.

Norumbega was bred in Kentucky by his owner, Stuart Janney III. He was coming off an eighth-place finish in the April 19 Ben Ali over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland.

It was the second Brooklyn victory for McGaughey, whose prior win came in the 1993 running with Living Vicariously.

After the top four, the order was Ground Transport, Golden Soul, and Eriugena. Bigger Is Bettor was an early scratch.

The $2 exacta (8-3) paid $81, the $1 trifecta (8-3-4) returned $142.50, and the 10-cent superfecta (8-3-4-5) was worth $64.80.