Brown wins Intercontinental with Newspaperofrecord and Fort Marcy with Instilled Regard

ELMONT, N.Y. - Chad Brown dominated the pair of graded turf stakes run Saturday at Belmont Park with Newspaperofrecord leading a 1-2-3-4 finish for the trainer in the Grade 3, $100,000 Intercontinental Stakes which followed a 1-2 finish by Instilled Regard and Devamani in the Grade 2, $150,000 Fort Marcy Stakes.

In the Intercontinental, Newspaperofrecord, in her first start in 11 months, flashed the brilliant speed she showed as a 2-year-old, setting fast early fractions and extending her advantage to win by four lengths. Regal Glory finished second by 2 1/4 lengths over Significant Form, who won this race last year for Brown. Viadera, who broke slow in her U.S debut, finished fourth.

Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Newspaperofrecord outsprinted Jakarta to the lead, running an opening quarter of 22.39 seconds to do it. Ortiz had Newspaperofrecord cruising through a half-mile in 45.38 while opening up a 2 1/2-length lead.

She ran six furlongs in 1:09.72 and covered the seven furlongs in 1:22.71 over yielding ground, a result of heavy mid-day rains. Newspaperofrecord, a daughter of Lope de Vega owned by Klaravich Stable, returned $4.70 as the favorite.

It was Newspaperofrecord’s first win since she won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November 2018. She went 0 for 3 last year and had not run since she finished last in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational last July 6.

“She's back,” Brown said. “She ran brilliantly. I wanted to see her back in the winner's circle off a brilliant effort and she did that. She was up on the pace a little stronger than I had anticipated, but it was a great effort.”

Ortiz said though Newspaperofrecord was setting fast fractions, she was comfortable doing it.

“She broke so sharp and was nice and quiet,” he said. “She went fast but she kept going. She liked it soft too. She's three-for-three on the soft turf now, so I think she appreciates it.”

Brown said he would like to run Newspaperofrecord back in the Grade 1 Just a Game here on June 27.

“I hope she comes out of it well,” Brown said. “I wasn't looking to really let her rip off fractions like that, knowing I have to get her out to a mile next time and on short rest in the Just a Game. I have a little something to work with there, but she's a top-class horse and we'll let her tell us if she's ready to run back in that timeframe.”

Earlier on the card, Instilled Regard came from off the pace and held off stablemate Devamani to win the Fort Marcy by a neck.

It was another length back to Somelikeithotbrown, who held on for third after setting a sharp pace for 1 1/8 miles.

Ortiz had Instilled Regard in midpack but said he had to move earlier than he wanted when a horse came up to him down the backside and he feared getting boxed in behind horses.

“I had no choice, I didn’t want to be behind those horses,” Ortiz said. “I pulled him out and when I pulled him out he just took off. He liked the mile and an eighth to be honest.”

Instilled Regard, a son of Arch owned by Larry Best’s OXO Equine, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.07 over good ground and returned $6.40 as the favorite.

As much as Newspaperofrecord likes a soft course, Brown was concerned about the condition of the Belmont turf after it rained.

“I'm very proud of this horse that he actually handled some moisture in the ground on the Belmont course,” Brown said. “It was a relief to see that. I know he's better on firm, but he showed a lot of guts today. The turf is not that soft, but there definitely is some give in it.”

Brown also trains Flop Shot, who finished fifth, and Tribhuvan, who didn’t finish the race after his right rein broke soon after the start.

Gucci Factor also didn’t finish the race. He was pulled up by jockey Junior Alvarado and vanned off.