Gufo takes wayward path to Belmont Derby winner's circle

ELMONT, N.Y. -- Gufo has a bad habit of running east and west as quickly as he does north and south. While that tendency may have cost him a win in Saratoga, he was good enough to overcome it in Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Derby Invitational at Belmont Park.

After coming out a path or two more than Junior Alvarado would have liked in the stretch, Gufo straightened away in time and lengthened his stride to run by No Word late and win the Belmont Derby by one length. No World finished second by 1 3/4 lengths over his Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Mo Ready.

Ajourneytofreedom finished fourth and was followed, in order, by Pixelate, Moon Over Miami, South Bend, and Venezuelan Hug. Domestic Spending, the morning-line favorite who had beaten Gufo by a head in the Saratoga Derby, was scratched Saturday after developing a fever earlier in the week.

The win was the fourth from five starts this year for Gufo, a son of Declaration of War owned by Otter Bend Racing, and his first in a Grade 1 race. It also earned him a fees-paid berth into the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7 should his connections be that ambitious.

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Trainer Christophe Clement was always confident in Gufo’s ability get a distance of ground. Gufo was a two-time winner at 1 1/8 miles heading into the Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16 miles in August at Saratoga.

In that race he came very wide into the stretch. When jockey John Velazquez hit him right-handed, Gufo came in several paths rather than remain straight and he was beaten a head by Domestic Spending.

Alvarado, who was riding Gufo for the first time Saturday, said he was prepared for a similar move in the Belmont Derby. But when Gufo did come out in front of Moon Over Miami above the eighth pole, it still caught him by surprise. It also prompted a stewards’ inquiry that ultimately resulted in no change to the order of finish. Moon Mover Miami, a pace prompter, had faded to sixth.

“I was mentally and physically prepared for it but he still got me,” Alvarado said. “I was clear enough from that other horse and I was moving forward.”

Clement said he would have been upset had his horse been disqualified because “he was much the best.”

Gufo was within five lengths of a tepid pace, established by Mo Ready and prompted first by Moon Over Miami and then No Word. The first six furlongs went in 1:15.56.

After Alvarado got Gufo off the inside and then was able to straighten him out, he really kicked home strongly to get the victory, running a final quarter in 22.60 seconds.

Gufo covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.25 and returned $4.90.

“He had a great trip,” Clement said. “When you ask him to quicken it takes him an eighth of a mile to get going. They never went away from him today, it was a pretty professional race.”

Clement said while the Breeders’ Cup Turf would be under consideration, so too will be the Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Nov. 28.