Lost Ark tops Pletcher trifecta in off-the-turf Jockey Club Derby Invitational
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Horses trained by Todd Pletcher swept the top three spots in the off-the-turf Jockey Club Derby Invitational on Saturday at Aqueduct, where Lost Ark held off Classic Catch for a three-quarter length win in the $500,000 race. It was another 3 1/4 lengths back in third to their stablemate and pacesetter, Fearless Soldier.
The Jockey Club Derby was originally scheduled to be run at 1 3/8 miles on the turf, but during the course of the card it was announced it would be moved to a sloppy, sealed main track and held at a distance of 1 1/4 miles. Aqueduct was able to run its early turf stakes, the Waya and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, over yielding ground, but more rains hit and the later turf stakes, the Jockey Club Derby and Belmont Turf Sprint, were taken off the grass.
Lost Ark ($9.70) tracked Fearless Soldier on Saturday, as that one put up fractions of 23.91 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.21 for the half-mile and 1:12.72 for six furlongs in the race scratched down from nine to five runners. Lost Ark joined the leader after six furlongs, poked a head in front of that one at the quarter pole, and went on to cover the distance in 2:03.97 earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 90.
Lost Ark added a set of blinkers Saturday.
“They wanted me to put him forward,” winning rider Kendrick Carmouche told the New York Racing Association. “I was sitting in a perfect spot the whole way around there. It was going to be whoever quickened at the end, and none of them quickened. We just galloped around there. I’m glad it came off the turf. I thought I had a decent shot on the grass, but I had an even bigger shot on the dirt.”
Lost Ark has now registered all four of his wins on the dirt. The son of Violence, who was stakes-placed on turf ahead of the Jockey Club Derby, is a half-brother to champion Nest. He has made eight starts overall in his career and has earnings of $538,600.
Lost Ark races for Harrell Ventures.
He topped a $1 exacta that paid $8.40 and a fifty-cent trifecta that returned $12.25.
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