Dalarna goes last to first in English Channel

Dalarna’s new running style isn’t for the faint of heart, but it certainly has proven to be a formula for success.

Rallying from last under Nik Juarez, Dalarna, a 19-1 longshot, got his nose on the wire first, besting 4-5 favorite Let’s Get Loud in Sunday’s $100,000 English Channel Stakes for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park. Harlan’s Harmony, a 34-1 shot, was also in the photo, a nose back of Let’s Get Loud and three-quarters of a length in front of Fact Finding. Lunaire, No Dozing, and Souper Tapit completed the order of finish.

The win was the third straight for Dalarna since his connections realized he prefers to come with one late run. He had lost his first four starts, perhaps racing too close to the pace.

“Honestly, he’s been improving each start; his last race was similar to this, he had nowhere to go, was locked in, got to the outside and made a heck of a run,” said winning trainer Kelly Rubley, referring to a nose victory in an Oct. 1 allowance race at Laurel. “He prefers to settle off the pace and make a big run and he certainly did it again today.”

Dalarna bobbled slightly out of the gate and was running a joint fifth with Let’s Get Loud down the backside while Fact Finding set the pace, stalked by Souper Tapit. Entering the far turn, after Fact Finding ran a half-mile in 46.89 seconds, Juarez had Dalarna last, but only 5 1/2 lengths off the pace and seemingly relaxed.

Dalarna remained last until upper stretch when Juarez swung him six wide and he was following Let’s Get Loud, who had made a five-wide move. Harlan’s Harmony was inside of the two and just outside Fact Finding, who was fighting to stay on. In the last sixteenth, there were four horses across the track with Dalarna just getting to the wire in front.

Dalarna, a Kentucky-bred son of K One King owned by Gunpowder Farms, covered the mile in 1:34.15 and returned $40.40 to win.

“Me and Javier were with each other [down] the backside and when we got to the turn, I kind of took back off of him and wanted to keep an eye on him,” Juarez said. “When he moved I was going to move, and it just all worked out.”

Though the race was the seventh of the year and third in six weeks for Dalarna, Rubley indicated she would like to find another spot for him before turf season comes to a close.

“That’s something the owners and I will discuss, but he continues to improve, he’s on such a good roll, I don’t know that we’re looking to stop just yet,” Rubley said.