Miles D takes outside route to Discovery Stakes victory
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Miles D was far from impressive when he narrowly won a first-level allowance race as the 1-5 favorite last month at Belmont Park.
The reason, trainer Chad Brown deduced, was that the horse, at least at this stage of his career, doesn’t like running on the inside of horses. It wasn’t until he got outside in that race that he found his best stride and got up to win.
On Saturday, despite having to lose some ground while purposely being kept wide by Manny Franco, Miles D was able to run down a loose-on-the-lead Speaker’s Corner to win the $150,000 Discovery Stakes for 3-year-olds by a half-length at Aqueduct.
The victory was the third from six starts and first in a stakes for Miles D, a son of Curlin owned by Peter Brant and Robert LaPenta. He was third to Essential Quality in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga.
Brown said the Discovery went exactly as he thought it would, with Miles D laying third while Speaker’s Corner, under Junior Alvarado, set the pace, stalked for the opening half-mile by Manor House. Entering the far turn, Franco moved Miles D into second and was gradually gaining on Speaker’s Corner before finally passing him in deep stretch.
“Manny just executed our plan perfectly,” Brown said. “There was a point down the backside where he could have been baited to cut the corner inside [Manor House] and then come out, but he just didn’t take a chance. I’m glad he chose a little bit of the overland route and he was pretty much in the clear.”
Miles D covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.44 and returned $7.40 as the second choice.
“I tried to outbreak [Vindictive] and be right behind the two speeds on the outside,” Franco said. “That was our plan to be there on the outside when it was going to be time to make the run, and we got it done."
Speaker’s Corner was made the 3-5 favorite off a dominant second-level allowance victory at Belmont in which he earned a gaudy 109 Beyer Speed Figure. In his only prior two-turn races, Speaker’s Corner finished a well-beaten sixth behind Hot Rod Charlie in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby. On Saturday, able to set a comfortable pace, Speaker’s Corner wasn’t able to see out the 1 1/8 miles.
“I’m almost 100 percent sure he doesn’t want to do two turns,” Alvarado said. “I went as easy as I could, I’m full of horse when I turned for home, when I asked him I expected him to give me a good kick, he was just right there steady, never really punched.”
Speaker’s Corner finished three-quarters of a length in front of Vindictive, who stumbled at the start. Bourbonic was fourth followed by Manor House. Ridin with Biden scratched.
Brown said Speaker’s Corner could be considered for some of the Mideast races next year such as the $20 million Saudi Cup in February and/or the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March.
“I normally don’t go over for those races, but if I have the right horse I will,” Brown said. “Especially for $20 million."