Second of July ($33) wins Futurity, gains BC Juvenile Turf Sprint spot

ELMONT, N.Y. - After Five, the favorite, and Second of July, the longshot, both seemed to be full of run nearing the top of the stretch of Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Futurity at Belmont Park. They just needed some room to run.

Second of July, under Dylan Davis, found it. After Five, under Irad Ortiz Jr., did not.

By getting through in upper stretch, Second of July was able to get first run on After Five and hold off that wide-rallying runner to win the Futurity by a half-length. It was another half-length back to Momos in third.

County Final was fourth followed by Gypsy King, Trade Deal, and Bright Devil.

For the second straight race, Second of July was sent off a huge price, this time returning $33 as the 15-1 longest price on the board. Three weeks ago, also at Belmont, Second of July won his debut at 68-1.

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“There were some highly touted individuals in his debut that led us to be an outsider and today there were some highly touted individuals that led us to be an outsider,” Phil Gleaves, the trainer of Second of July, said from his home at Ballston Spa, where he watched the race on television.

“But he had trained well. I had remarked to my assistant we had done everything possible with him. He’s going to run as best as he possibly can and we’ll see how it fits with this bunch and it fit quite well.”

Under Dylan Davis, Second of July broke okay, but he was sixth early, about six lengths off the pace. He was running just outside of After Five, who was saving all the ground under Ortiz.

Midway on the turn, Davis was splitting horses while Ortiz was hoping room would open along the inside. Davis was able to find room in the four-path in upper stretch, while Ortiz had to go around everybody and was seven wide inside the three-sixteenths pole.

Second of July had more than enough to hold After Five at bay, covering the six furlongs in 1:09.33 over firm ground.

“He broke well for me, but I just could not get any early foot on him, but once we got to the turn he wanted to get a little aggressive on me,” Davis said. “I allowed him to move up a little bit and then from then on it was just trying to find a clear spot before I get going. Once we did, I came outside of [County Final], he accelerated and that was great.”

Second of July, named by owner Bryan Hillard for his son Reed’s birthday, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.33

The win earned Second of July, a son of Jack Mitlon, a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

“Barring anything unforeseen we’ll be going on to Keeneland,” Gleaves said.

Ortiz, meanwhile, was left to wonder what might have been had he had a cleaner trip.

“I can’t get through, there’s a lot of horses in front of me, I hit the wall and then I had to wait to come around them,” Ortiz said. “He come running, he did everything right. He was a little unlucky.”

Ward noted the irony of the fact two horses he had in the race may have helped cause the traffic trouble.

“If I hadn’t had those two in there, I would certainly have had a better run from that guy,” Ward said.

Royal Approval wins Matron

An hour after the disappointment of the Futurity, Ortiz guided the Ward-trained Royal Approval to a three-quarter-length victory in the Grade 3, $100,000 Matron for 2-year-old fillies.

Unlike After Five, Royal Approval put herself right in the race, stalking the pacesetting Union Gables through a quarter of 22.63 seconds and 46.28. Union Gables wasn’t giving it up in the stretch, but when Ortiz hit Royal Approval once right-handed she responded, passing Union Gables and edging away for the win.

Union Gables was second by three-quarters over Magisterium. Amalfi Princess was fourth followed by Fabricate and Rossa Veloce.

Niente was pulled up in deep stretch by Jose Lezcano. She was vanned off with an injury to her right foreleg.

For Ortiz, the Matron felt like justification after a difficult trip in the Futurity.

“I’m human, I probably made a mistake early, but we turned the page,” Ortiz said. “With this one, I got a perfect trip. Wesley loved the filly, she did everything right, she broke and she put me right there.”

Royal Approval, a daughter of Tiznow owned and bred by Three Chimneys Farm, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.10 and returned $3.10 as the favorite.

Ward thought Royal Approval was going to win easier than she did.

“Not that I was disappointed, I was expecting more of an explosive move from here,” Ward said. “I just think by taking those blinkers off [prior to her last start] it took that quick speed out of her, she’s wary of what’s going on. She knows how to win. Irad said when he went to the stick she just gave him that quickness right there.”

Ward said Royal Approval would be pre-entered in both the Juvenile Turf Sprint and the Juveniles Fillies Turf, the latter at a mile.