Capensis cruises to victory in Virginia Derby, caps five-win day for Irad Ortiz Jr.

It took Capensis until July of his 3-year-old season to make the races, but it took only three starts to make him a graded stakes winner.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Saratoga shipper swamped nine rivals and cruised to a two-length win Tuesday at Colonial Downs in the Grade 3, $300,000 Virginia Derby.

Despite his inexperience, Capensis ran a thoroughly professional race for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who won five races Tuesday and just before the Virginia Derby landed the $200,000 Virginia Oaks aboard Spirit and Glory.

Capensis looked like a world-beater winning his debut, a one-turn Belmont turf route on July 2, by five lengths, earning a 91 Beyer Speed Figure. Ground loss played a major part in a close sixth-place finish July 31 at Saratoga, where Capensis faced older first-level allowance foes, and he was much the best Tuesday.

Ortiz gave Capensis a perfect trip, settling him in sixth, with no rival immediately inside or outside him, through a half-mile in 47.62 seconds. Advancing steadily under patient handling around the far turn, Capensis was up to fourth at the quarter pole, and when he changed leads and leveled off in upper stretch, a strong burst of speed quickly pushed him past two tiring pacesetters, into the lead, and onto a convincing victory.

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California Frolic, a 38-1 shot in from Florida, did get up for second, finishing a neck in front of Limited Liability, who had a neck on fourth-place Unanimous Consent. Capensis, bet down to 8-5 favoritism, clocked 1:48.15 for 1 1/8 miles on firm turf and paid $5.20 to win.

Royal Patronage, the 9-5 second choice, raced keenly in the early going and rather than fight his mount, Joel Rosario chose to put him on the lead. Royal Patronage continued to pull down the backstretch and came up empty in the stretch run, finishing seventh.

Capensis posted his first timed workout way back in April 2021, breezed a dozen times last year without racing, and clearly required a patient hand from Pletcher. By Tapit out of Tara’s Tango, by Unbridled Song, Capensis had fetched $2 million at Keeneland’s 2020 September yearling auction. Roughly two years later, the colt is proving worth the wait for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta, and Gainesway Stable. This was Pletcher’s third Virginia Derby win, the first two having come with English Channel in 2005 and Red Giant in 2007.