Build to Suit draws away in Hudson Handicap

Saturday’s $150,000 Hudson Handicap at Belmont Park was billed as a rematch between Celtic Chaos and Build to Suit. But in the end, it proved to be no match at all.

Rallying from off a relatively slow pace, Build to Suit drew off to an impressive 2 1/2-length victory over Eye Luv Lulu in the 6 1/2-furlong Hudson, with T Loves a Fight finishing another three parts of a length further back in third. Celtic Chaos, who won the bob to squeak out a nose decision over Build to Suit in the John Morrissey Stakes on Aug. 4 at Saratoga, steadied near the rail midway on the turn and finished last in the field of eight New York-breds.

With regular rider Manny Franco aboard, Build to Suit raced within easy striking distance of the leaders, swung out three to four paths wide for the drive, finished full of run down the center of the course to over-take Eye Luv Lulu a sixteenth from home, and won going away. The latter showed the way from inside, repulsed a bid from T Loves a Fight, but proved no match for the winner in the end.

The victory was the third in four starts this season for Build to Suit since returning from an injury that sidelined him for 14 months until his return in January at Aqueduct. A 5-year-old son of Dominus, Build to Suit is trained by Chad Brown for the partnership of Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence.
Build to Suit completed 6 1/2 furlongs over the fast track in 1:15.88 and paid $4.70.

“He's all heart, like most afternoon horses,” Brown said. “He won't do anything that would get you excited in the morning, and he always runs a little better than I think he's going to. He's a real cool horse to be around, and he earns everything that he gets.

“I thought he got a great trip. Manny [Franco] gets along with this horse excellent. He just rode a beautiful race. It was a solid field, and there were three other horses in the race with potential to win. He was going to have to come with a strong race, and he did."

Like the Hudson, its filly counterpart, the $150,000 Iroquois, also turned out to be no contest, with Pauseforthecause leading throughout before drawing off to an impressive and one-sided 3 1/2-length triumph over Fair Regis.

Pauseforthecause has cycled back to peak form for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, posting her second consecutive one-sided victory. She defeated open, high-level optional-claiming competition by 5 1/2 lengths in similar wire-to-wire fashion five weeks earlier.

Pauseforthecause – third, beaten a length, in the 2018 Iroquois – broke alertly under jockey Jose Ortiz, quickly sprinted clear, and set nearly identical fractions as in her previous race, posting splits of 22.51 seconds and 45.05 for the opening half-mile. She settled into the stretch with a comfortable advantage and was never seriously threatened thereafter. It was another three lengths further back to Holiday Disguise who finished a well-beaten third.

A homebred daughter of Giant’s Causeway owned by Chester and Mary Broman, Pauseforthecause returned $9.20 after negotiating 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.62, .26 of a second faster than the males completed the same distance in the Iroquois 30 minutes earlier.

“It looked like there was some speed inside and outside,” said McLaughlin. “She really likes a clean face and when she broke so well, Jose [Ortiz] said, 'No one wanted to go, so I just went.' He made a good decision. She ran that way last time. She was sharp. She broke and went.”