Shamrocket outlasts Beacon Hill in Point of Entry Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. - Shamrocket, who had come close but had yet to win a stakes race in his career, finally achieved victory in his eighth try in such a race by outfinishing a stubborn Beacon Hill to win Sunday’s $100,000 Point of Entry Stakes by a half-length at Belmont Park.
Beacon Hill, making his stakes debut, finished second by 3 3/4 lengths over Bluegrass Parkway. Tide of the Sea, the 7-5 favorite, was fourth followed by Mo Gotcha. Experienced scratched.
Shamrocket, a 4-year-old Florida-bred son of Tonalist, had finished second or third in four stakes including a third-place finish in the Grand Couturier run at 1 1/2 miles here in July. Shamrocket had been entered in a 1 1/8-mile allowance race here Thursday, but scratched out of that spot when the Point of Entry drew enough entries to be carded.
“When we looked at it, we were in a similar situation in that we were the second choice in either spot,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We felt a little more confident at a mile and a half than a mile and an eighth.”
Shamrocket is a closer who needs pace to be successful. Typically, the pace in route races is soft. Such was not the case in the Point of Entry as Tide of the Sea and Beacon Hill were in close contention through a half-mile in 48.30 seconds, six furlongs in 1:13.71 and a mile in 1:38.44. Javier Castellano had Shamrocket in fourth, seven lengths off the pace after a half-mile.
In the stretch, four of the five horses were in contention, though Tide of the Sea was first to retreat. Beacon Hill kept going and Shamrocket and Bluegrass Parkway had joined the pacesetters from the back of the pack. In the final eighth, it was Shamrocket who was going the better of the two and he was able to outfinish Beacon Hill.
“He can run all day long, he never got tired, he kept running, he finished really well,” Castellano said.
Shamrocket, owned by Donegal Racing, covered the 1 1/2 miles in 2:26.70 and returned $5.90 to win.
“When you look at his [past performances], he’s a super consistent horse, just hadn’t had as many wins as second or thirds, but he always shows up and runs hard every time,” Pletcher said. “He benefitted from a good trip today, honest pace to run at, everything fell into place. Happy for him.”
Pletcher mentioned the Grade 2, $200,000 Red Smith at Aqueduct on Nov. 20 as a potential next start for Shamrocket.