Navistar looks solid for Smarty Jones

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Bob LaPenta won the last Triple Crown race run when Tapwrit, who he owns in partnership, took the Belmont Stakes in June. The cycle for 3-year-old stakes success starts over for the New York native on Monday when one of his promising young horses, Navistar, runs in the $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park.

LaPenta also owns the well-regarded Catholic Boy, who on Friday in Florida had his first work since winning the Grade 2 Remsen, and Montauk, a debut winner at Belmont whom he races in partnership with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Navistar is part of a seven-horse field for the Smarty Jones, a one-mile race that carries 17 points for the Kentucky Derby. The $900,000 purchase won a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park in his most recent start Dec. 16, and John Velazquez, who was aboard for trainer Todd Pletcher, again has the mount in the Smarty Jones.

“Mr. LaPenta is a real sportsman and in this game we need more guys like him,” said John Panagot, racing manager for LaPenta. “He shows up every year, puts up the money, and he loves the game.

“He buys with the intention of the Triple Crown races.”

Catholic Boy is the stable’s most accomplished young runner right now, and Panagot said the horse, who worked a half-mile at Bridlewood Training Center with trainer Jonathan Thomas, is being pointed to the Sam F. Davis next month at Tampa Bay Downs. Navistar, who in his debut was second to eventual stakes winner Mask, got the call for the Smarty Jones for a couple of different reasons, Panagot said.

“It was good timing, a month from his maiden win, and an opportunity to run him two turns – with a nice little purse and some Derby points on the line,” Panagot said. “We think he’ll appreciate the two turns.”

Navistar debuted Oct. 20 at Belmont and finished second to Mask in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight. For the effort, Navistar earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81, while Mask went on to win the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream by 6 1/4 lengths Jan. 6. Navistar, meanwhile, came back and won his maiden in a one-turn mile race at Gulfstream. He was always prominent for a 1 1/2-length victory, earning a Beyer of 79.

“He didn’t get much of a break there – he kind of had to work the whole way,” Panagot said. “He did it comfortably in the end. We were happy with his effort.”

Navistar is a son of Union Rags and the Indian Charlie mare Delightfully So, who is a half-sister to millionaire Delightful Kiss, winner of the Ohio and Iowa derbies. Panagot said the horse got the attention of bloodstock agent Steve Young at auction.

“Steve liked him a lot and the pedigree attracted Mr. LaPenta, so they bought him,” he said.

Montauk, an $850,000 purchase at Ocala Breeders’ Sales last April, was an 11 1/4-length debut winner and is nearing his first breeze back, Panagot said.

Navistar is shipping into Oaklawn, but LaPenta has other horses in place for the meet, which opened Friday, and most are in over the opening weekend, Panagot said. Far Right was the horse that “brought” LaPenta to Oaklawn around 2014, when he bought into the runner owned by Harry Rosenblum of Little Rock, Ark.

“Mr. LaPenta had partnered with Harry Rosenblum in the past and bought into Far Right,” Panagot said. “The horse has done really well. He won the Smarty Jones and the Southwest and was second to American Pharoah in the Arkansas Derby.”

Far Right was to run over opening weekend at Oaklawn.

Another horse LaPenta has in partnership with Rosenblum at Oaklawn is Uncontested, who runs in the seventh race Sunday for trainer Wayne Catalano.

“Uncontested is a very talented horse who won the Smarty Jones last year in the slop,” Panagot said.

LaPenta’s other local runners include Whitmore, who has returned to the barn of trainer Ron Moquett after a freshening and could be seen later in the meet in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, which he won in 2017.