Disco Partner brings his speed back to Jaipur

ELMONT, N.Y. – The two fastest races Disco Partner has ever run were in the Jaipur Invitational at Belmont Park.

His connections hope he has at least one more fast race in those 6-year-old legs when he makes his third appearance in the Grade 2, $400,000 Jaipur Invitational on the undercard of the June 9 Belmont Stakes.

Last year, Disco Partner set a North American record when he ran six furlongs in 1:05.67 in winning the Jaipur by a half-length over Green Mask. In 2016, Disco Partner was beaten a neck by stablemate Pure Sensation in the Jaipur, which went in 1:06.76.

“That was a freak performance,” Christophe Lorieul, assistant to trainer Christophe Clement, said of Disco Partner’s victory in last year’s Jaipur. “He doesn’t have to duplicate that. If he can come close to his form from last year that would be nice.”

The Jaipur, a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, will be Disco Partner’s second race of the year. On April 7, he finished third as the 7-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Shakertown at Keeneland, a race run over a yielding turf course.

“I don’t think he has that same kick that he has on firm turf,” Lorieul said. “On firm turf he has that explosive turn of foot. The other day he got third, it was more because of his class than anything else.”

On Thursday, Disco Partner worked a half-mile in 49.36 seconds over the Belmont turf under Irad Ortiz Jr., and he galloped out extremely strong around the clubhouse turn.

“He was moving great, very willing, Irad was very happy with him,” Lorieul said. “He told me the first quarter he was just on the bridle: ‘I did not even move my hands.’ I liked the gallop-out.”

Others expected to run in the Jaipur include Stormy Liberal, the defending Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner, and his Peter-Miller-trained stablemate Conquest Tsunami, the Grade 3 Daytona winner. Blind Ambition, Conquest Panthera, Frisky Magician, Holding Gold and Pocket Change are others expected to enter.