Policy of Truth impresses in Prix de Fontainebleau win

Policy of Truth looked the best winner among four Classic trials – two each in France and England – on Sunday.

Policy of Truth did get a great trip under Maxime Guyon but made the most of it to land the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau over one mile at Longchamp, beating a leading French 2-year-old of 2020, Sealiway, by a half-length. Policy of Truth has won all three of his starts over good going, as the course was designated Sunday, but was fourth of six in the Group 1 Criterium International over heavy ground last fall, and sixth on debut racing on good-soft ground at Chantilly. The ground preference makes sense, as Policy of Truth, a Siyouni colt trained by Pia and Joakim Brandt, is a massive colt whose action clearly better suits the top of the ground than the bottom. Sealiway, racing for the first time since a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, turned in a solid performance in a race he might have needed, and the top two should meet again in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, on May 16.

Policy of Truth clocked 1:39.68 while just a half-hour earlier Cirona won the Prix de la Grotte for 3-year-old fillies, a prep for the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, the French 1000 Guineas, in a time of 1:43.71. One could’ve thrown a blanket over the top five home in this race, and with that taken on top of the slow time, it seems reasonable to regard the Grotte form as suspect.

Later during the Longchamp card, In Swoop made his first start since finishing second in the Arc with another runner-up performance, this one to Sublimis in the listed Prix Lord Seymor, a stepping-stone toward more important races for In Swoop, also second in the Prix Niel last September.

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At Newbury in England, Chindit punched his ticket to the 2000 Guineas getting up by a neck over Mehmento in the Group 3, seven-furlong Greenham Stakes. A Wootton Bassett colt trained by Richard Hannon Jr., Chindit won his first three starts at 2 before finishing ninth in the Group 1 Dewhurst. In the Greenham, Mehmento made an early bid for the wire and opened daylight 1 1/2 furlongs out before Chindit and jockey Pat Dobbs nabbed him just before the line.

The Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, a nominal 1000 Guineas prep, provided an equally close result, with favored Alcohol Free holding on by a nose over longshot Statement. Alcohol Free, trained by Andrew Balding, is a fine filly, her three wins from four starts including the Group 1 Cheveley Park last summer, but that top-level race comes at six furlongs and even going seven Sunday, Alcohol Free had to work to hold on, suggesting the one-mile Guineas could be a reach.