Sacred Life catches Field Pass at wire in Knickerbocker
ELMONT, N.Y. - One only has to look at the quality of races Chad Brown has entered Sacred Life in to realize the high regard in which he has held the French-bred horse. More often than not, though, Sacred Life has failed to deliver on those expectations.
That changed Sunday at Belmont Park when Sacred Life came with a furious rally under Jose Ortiz to run down a seemingly home-free Field Pass and win the Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker Stakes by a head. The win was the second stakes success on the card for Brown, who finished Sunday’s nine-race card with four victories. This, after winning two races on Saturday at Belmont, including a 1-2 finish in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.
Prior to Sunday, Sacred Life had won two races from 11 starts since coming to Brown from France in summer 2019. He won an allowance race at Keeneland exactly two years ago and the Oceanport Stakes, a listed race at Monmouth, in August 2020. The late-running son of Siyouni finished third in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile in April and, in 2020, finished fourth in both the Turf Classic and the Pegasus World Cup Turf.
“When I spot a horse that way I think a lot of them; it hasn’t worked out,” Brown said.
It didn’t look like it was going to work out on Sunday, either. Entering the first turn, No Word from the outside cut in front of Sacred Life and Ortiz found himself eighth, 9 1/2 lengths off the pace established by Field Pass.
Ortiz said he decided to follow Joel Rosario aboard Breaking the Rules down the backstretch. Ortiz was going to try and go outside at the top of the lane, but felt No Word and En Wye Cee weren’t moving well enough in front of him, so he again found himself following Breaking the Rules turning for home. Coming to the eighth pole, Sacred Life was still five lengths behind and Field Pass seemed like he wasn’t stopping.
Ortiz got Sacred Life off the fence inside the eighth pole and was able to catch Field Pass and Dylan Davis in the final jump.
“He always tries, but today I think was one of his best performances,” Ortiz said. “It was a great turn of foot and he made up a lot of ground from the eighth pole to the wire.”
Sacred Life, owned by Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Caruso, covered the 1 1/8 miles in a posted time of 1:46.66 and returned $12.80. He was given a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.
“To see him get back in form there and close the last quarter like he did is exciting, and him showing a lot of promise will allow us to step him up into a big race," Brown said. “I’m not sure what race. We’ll enjoy this victory and form a new plan.”