Mr Speaker connects at 23-1 in Belmont Derby

ELMONT, N.Y. - Score one for the home team.

Mr Speaker, dismissed by the betting public after a last-place finish as the 4-5 favorite in the Pennine Ridge Stakes here on Memorial Day, redeemed himself in a major way Saturday, flying through the stretch under Jose Lezcano to beat European invader Adelaide by a neck in the $1.25 million Belmont Derby.

Adelaide, the 2-1 favorite coming off a runner-up finish in a Group 2 race at Royal Ascot two weeks ago, finished second by 3 1/2 lengths over Flamboyant. He was followed, in order, by Gailo Chop, Sheldon, Toast of New York, Global View, Bobby’s Kitten, Pornichet, and Gala Award.

Mr Speaker, a son of Pulpit owned and bred by the Phipps Stable and trained by Shug McGaughey, returned $49 as the second-longest shot on the board in the 10-horse field.

The Belmont Derby, formerly the Jamaica, was moved from the fall to this spot on the calendar and received a $725,000 purse increase in hopes of attracting some top European-based runners. It brought four overseas horses here, but none who could outfinish Mr Speaker.

“I think it’s very good for this race to have the European horses here and a good contingent of European horses that were well thought of,” McGaughey said. “I think it helps the race.”

It certainly helped the price for those who liked Mr Speaker, who won the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes by four lengths over Keeneland’s Polytrack in April. He was sent off the 4-5 favorite in the Pennine Ridge but finished last after racing too close to the pace. McGaughey said he felt there were other factors that came into play that day as well.

“He was funny in the paddock that day like he’d never been in there and he goes there every day,” McGaughey said. “He went to the post looking up in the crowd; entirely different horse today.”

And he received an entirely different trip.

Lezcano took Mr Speaker back to last in the early stages while saving ground. Pornichet, one of four European-based runners in the field who was equipped with blinkers, ran off with Jose Ortiz and opened up a five-length lead after running an opening half-mile in 48.43 seconds. Gala Award, who won the Pennine Ridge, and Bobby’s Kitten, the Penn Mile winner, ran up to Pornichet down the backside, but Pornichet turned those two aside.

Adelaide, under Colm O’Donoghue, seemed to be in a good position turning for home and when room opened up between horses he shot through to the lead. But Lezcano followed him, and then dove to the inside with Mr Speaker who outfinished Adelaide to the wire.

Mr Speaker covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.18 over an inner turf course labeled good.

“Last time he was a little aggressive. I wanted to let him settle down the backside,” Lezcano said. “I made a little move to hold my position, I try to follow some horses I see running and I think I followed the right horse [Adelaide]. When I asked him, he gave me the kick I need to win the race.”

O’Donoghue said he was happy with the trip he got on Adelaide.

“I got a good opening in the home turn. He finished up the race well. He ran a big race,” O’Donoghue said. “He kicked good. The winner just kicked a bit stronger.”

Toast of New York, winner of the UAE Derby in his last start, finished sixth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths.

“He almost looked like a horse that didn’t sta. He didn’t get the trip,” trainer Jamie Osborne said. “Top of the straight you would have been happy wouldn’t you? It looked like he was going to pick up and he run for 100 yards and then he kind of flattened out quite quickly almost like a horse that wouldn’t get a mile and a quarter.”