Clearly Now breaks track record in Belmont Sprint Championship

ELMONT, N.Y. - Clearly Now has certainly found a home at Belmont Park. At least at seven furlongs.

For the second time in 8 1/2 months, Clearly Now won a graded stakes going seven furlongs at Belmont Park, this time dominating the Grade 3, $400,000 Belmont Sprint Championship by 6 1/4 lengths, and establishing a track record of 1:19.96 in the process. His final time eclipsed Left Bank’s time of 1:20.17 in the 2002 Tom Fool. The Belmont Sprint Championship was formerly the James Marvin Stakes and had been run at Saratoga the last few years.

Clearly Now, owned by Up Hill Stable and trained by Brian Lynch, won for the fifth time in 15 starts in his career, and first since he took the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap here last Oct. 26. He had lost his last four starts since, including a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at one mile.

Jose Lezcano, on him for both the Bold Ruler and the Met Mile, was back on him Saturday and said he felt the shorter distance would benefit him.

“I think it’s much better when he goes shorter - seven-eighths, three quarters is his distance,” Lezcano said. “When he breaks he relaxes and you ask him to finish, he finishes very good. Last time he went a mile and he broke a little slow and he jumped into the bit and went early and got a little tired.”

Saturday, Clearly Now broke better, and was relatively close to modest fractions of 22.75 seconds and 45.55 set by Moonlight Song, who was pursued by Dads Caps.

After saving ground down the backside, Lezcano guided him into the three-path turning for home and Clearly Now kicked away from the field. He ran his final eighth in 11.66 seconds. He returned $6.40 as the 2-1 favorite.

“We always knew he had it in him but for him to go and break a track record that’s pretty awesome,” said Erin Cotterrill, assistant to Lynch. “He just needs to put it all together. He’s missed the break the last few races. I said to the jockey if he breaks clean he’ll be tough to beat and that’s what he did today.”

Palace, winner of the True North last out, won a four-way photo for second by a neck over Salutos Amigos, who got third by a nose over Moonlight Song and Dads Caps, who dead-heated for fourth. They were followed by Central Banker, Mezzano, Big Screen, and Declan’s Warrior.