Colizeo pulls away in Star of Cozzene

ELMONT, N.Y. - Colizeo, the only graded stakes winner in the field of seven, circled four wide under Ramon Dominguez around the far turn, took command in upper stretch and drew clear to a three-length victory in Saturday’s $70,000 Star of Cozzene Stakes for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park.

Stormy’s Majesty, the Albany Stakes winner, finished second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Our Dark Knight. Calide Valley, Brother Bird, Jackson Bend, and Keep Me Informed completed the order of finish.

Colizeo, a son of Distorted Humor trained by Todd Pletcher, had won the Grade 3 Northern Dancer on the lead at Churchill Downs in June. Saturday, he settled off the pace while stablemates Jackson Bend and Our Dark Knight dueled head and head through fractions of 23.60 seconds and 47.84.
Colizeo made a four-wide sweep around the turn and edged clear under right handed urging from Dominguez. Colizeo, owned by brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, covered the 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track in 1:43.05 and returned $17.60.

“Even though he’s been on the lead before, I told Ramon he’s kind of a 24 [second], 48 type horse,” Pletcher said. “He did a nice job of moving him to the outside and letting him get into his rhythm and he finished up well.”

Pletcher said Colizeo would likely make one more start this year before being put away for 2011.

“I think he’ll be a good 4-year-old for us,” Pletcher said.