Classic Causeway ($55.50) surprises in Belmont Derby

ELMONT, N.Y. - An idea hatched two weeks ago by trainer Ken McPeek, a key and somewhat controversial scratch of another potential speed horse in the field, and a heady ride by Julien Leparoux all combined to enable Classic Causeway to pull off a 26-1 upset in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational at Belmont Park.

Classic Causeway, a multiple graded stakes winner on dirt who had never raced on turf, took some early token pressure from Royal Patronage, but was able to dictate terms down the backside through reasonable fractions. Able to open up a two-length advantage at midstretch, Classic Causeway held off late runs from Nations Pride and Stone Age - the first and second betting choices - to win by three-quarters of a length. Nations Pride, under Frankie Dettori, finished second by a head over Stone Age, who was neck better than Grand Sonata.

Royal Patronage was fifth, followed in order by Sy Dog, Limited Liability, Machete, Tiz the Bomb, Implementation, Napoleonic War, and Stolen Base.

Classic Causeway’s ability to have a relatively easy time in the race was due in part to the scratch of Emmanuel, who was coming off a front-running victory in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge here on June 4. The scratch was “due to issues relating to veterinary records” according to a statement released mid-afternoon by the New York State Gaming Commission.

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After the race, at a meeting with the media that New York stewards typically hold only on days when the New York Racing Association hosts a $1 million race, Gaming Commission steward Braulio Baeza Jr. would not elaborate.

“It’s an ongoing investigation, there are no rulings right now,” Baeza said. “We’re here to discuss incidents that happened during the running of the races. Horse didn’t run.”

Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Emmanuel, said he was not prepared to comment on the exact reason of the scratch, though he said his horse was perfectly sound. Pletcher said it did not have to do with any medical records that were published on the New York State Gaming Commission website for the three days leading up to the race, something that is also required for $1 million races at NYRA tracks.

“I think it’s a mistake, but it was not made by our team,” Pletcher said. I think it’s a classic case of rules being in place that are not published properly.”

Leparoux said the scratch of Emmanuel “definitely helped a little bit.”

Leparoux said he was surprised that Royal Patronage was pressing him early, but was happy when jockey Joel Rosario took a hold of Royal Patronage entering the backstretch. That enabled Leparoux to give Classic Causeway a breather.

“I was very happy on the backside, I got him to relax, he was looking around, from there I was like if he likes the grass and can make it, he’s got his best chance to win right now,” Leparoux said.

Classic Causeway did indeed make it, covering the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.99 and returning $55.50 as the third-longest price in the 12-horse field.

McPeek said he hatched this plan to run Classic Causeway on turf a few hours after the horse finished third in the Grade 2 Ohio Derby at Thistledown. That was Classic Causeway’s first start for him.

“We talked about all the options and I told Patrick O’Keefe and [son] Brandon O’Keefe [of Kentucky West Racing] at some point you got to try this horse on the grass because he’s got a foot like a pancake and his sire was a top grass horse in Europe, though he also ran well in the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” McPeek said.

Classic Causeway is a son of Giant’s Causeway, who was Europe’s Horse of the Year in 2000.

“If he’s ever going to win a grass race, a mile and a quarter is going to be perfect because no one is going to have the speed that he’s got,” McPeek said.

Dettori said Nations Pride got upset in the starting gate “and was the last one out and had to play catch-up. The winner got an easy lead up front and couldn’t catch him.”

*** All-sources handle Saturday was $26,092,359, a 22.2 percent increase over last year’s figure of $21,337,573 on the corresponding card.