Locally Owned surprises Lone Rock in Grand Prix American Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. - It’s not often an owner will have mixed emotions watching one of his horses cross the finish line first in a $300,000 stakes as did Jason Provenzano at the end of Saturday’s Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational at Belmont Park. But that’s because his Locally Owned won the 13-furlong marathon at the expense of the 1-9 favorite Lone Rock, whom Provenzano also owns under the nom de course of Flying P Stable.
Lone Rock entered the Grand Prix American sporting a four-race win streak and having won seven of his last eight starts. Included among those victories was an 11 1/4-length triumph in the Grade 2 Brooklyn here June 5 and an easy four-length decision in the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone last month at Saratoga.
Claimed for $40,000 out of a seventh-place finish this winter at the Fair Grounds for Provenzano by trainer Tom Morley, Locally Owned entered the Grand Prix having lost his previous three starts, and was most recently beaten nearly 24 lengths when failing to stay 1 1/8 miles under allowance conditions at Saratoga on September 5.
With Dylan Davis aboard for the first time, Locally Owned race at the rear of the compact five-horse field for more than a mile. He began to gradually edge closer while continuing to save ground on the final turn, found ample room to join the leaders hugging the rail a quarter-mile from home, edged clear at the top of the stretch, then maintained that advantage to the end.
Lone Rock, who carried highweight of 122 pounds under the race's allowance conditions, forced the pace of Mo Gotcha from the outset, came wide into the stretch and, while continuing on gamely down the center of the course, could not gain ground on the winner through the final furlong. Mo Gotcha gave way gradually through the final three-sixteenths, but was easily best of the rest. Chris and Dave and Empty Tomb rounded out the order of finish. Moretti was scratched.
Locally Owned is a 5-year-old gelded son of Distorted Humor. He completed the distance over a fast track in 2:44.60 and paid $39.00.
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“Of course it was bittersweet, the Rock is the Rock to me,” Provenzano said. “He won my first graded stakes here on Belmont Day, which is something you’ll never forget. Then we won a stakes up at Saratoga and you know how it is to win up there alone, let alone a stakes. I knew this horse Locally Owned [was] just missing something. Me and Tom (Morley) talked and we knew this race was going to come up light. So we nominated him. I knew Todd (Pletcher) wasn’t going to run his horse (Moretti) if Lone Rock was running. And Dylan rode the perfect race. He saved every inch of ground. It’s amazing that this horse, another claim, wins a race like this. It’s what I dream of. And it’s been a dream start to a relationship (with Morley).”
Provenzano said jockey Ramon Vazquez, who rode Lone Rock, told him immediately after the race that when he asked for his run, the horse just didn’t have his normal kick.
“It could be a tough campaign, we piled it on, this is what happens some times,” Provenzano said. “Did he run a bad race? No. But at 1-9 he’s supposed to beat up on them.”