Minorette delivers peak performance in Belmont Oaks

ELMONT, N.Y. - While most of the attention leading into Saturday’s $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational was on the European-based runners who invaded New York for the Grade 1 race, it was one of their former compatriots who got the job done.

Minorette, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Smart Strike who began her career in Ireland with Aidan O’Brien before being transferred to Chad Brown, ran by Sea Queen in upper stretch and drew clear for a two-length victory in the Oaks at Belmont Park. Sea Queen, a U.S.-based runner trained by Christophe Clement set the pace and finished second by 1 1/4 lengths over her stablemate, the New York-bred Summer Solo.

Xcellence, who came here from France, rallied to finish fourth ahead of European-based runners Wonderfully and Goldy Espony. Room Service, the 5-2 favorite based on three consecutive wins in the U.S., finished seventh and was followed by Flying Jib, Rosalind, and Recepta. My Conquestadory scratched.

Minorette, ridden by Joel Rosario, won for just the second time in seven career starts and first in three starts in this country. The win capped a terrific day for trainer Brown, who also won the Grade 2, $500,000 Suburban Handicap with the New York-bred Zivo. Those were two of the five graded events run on a gorgeous summer day at Belmont Park that drew a crowd of 11,184.

As the Oaks was deemed a “Win and You’re In” race, Minorette earned an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare to be run this fall at Santa Anita.

Brown said he began thinking about the Oaks -formerly known as the Garden City and run in the fall - for Minorette after she finished second in a one-mile allowance race at Keeneland on April 6, her first start for Brown and first in this country.

“After her race at Keeneland at a mile when she was closing good and got a big number out of the race I immediately circled this one and said ‘let’s go for it,’ ” Brown said. “We gave her the local prep and it worked; that’s what preps are for. She got a run over the course and the jock got to know her. When the money counted today he rode her perfect.”

Rosario said he felt he might have moved too soon when he finished second on Minorette to Sea Queen in the Wonder Again Stakes here on May 25.

Saturday, Rosario had Minorette in third position, within three lengths of the lead, which was established by Sea Queen, and prompted by Wonderfully.

In the stretch, Sea Queen, under Irad Ortiz Jr., had the advantage, but Minorette was relentless and ran by her outside the eighth pole. Minorette covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.64 and returned $14.60 as the fourth choice in the field of 10.

“She moved like she wanted to go longer,” Rosario said. “Last time I moved a little early and she took the lead and she kind of waited a little bit. But she looked like she’s one-paced and would keep on going.”

Trainer Christophe Clement was satisfied with the performance by Sea Queen and Summer Solo, who went off at 9-1 and 33-1, respectively.

“They were second- and third-best. Both ran well. It was fun to have a mile and a quarter top-class race for 3-year-old fillies at this time of the year,” he said.

In addition to winning the race, Brown will get Xcellence transferred to him. Trainer Francois Doumen said he felt the slow pace compromised his filly’s chances on Saturday.

“He had to wait to get a bit of position,” Doumen said, referring to jockey Gerald Mosse. “It made her have too much to do in the home straight and this is the maximum distance for this girl.”