Shancelot blitzes Amsterdam field

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Jorge Navarro trained talented sprinters Private Zone, X Y Jet, and Sharp Azteca, a trio that a combined to win 30 races -- including 20 stakes -- and earn more than $8.3 million.

He may never have had a horse turn in a better performance than what Shancelot did in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga.

Facing stakes company for the first time in a full field of 12 3-year-olds, Shancelot put on a dazzling display of speed under Emisael Jaramillo, rolling to a 12 1/2-length victory in the Amsterdam in just his third career start. His final time of 1:14.01 for 6 1/2 furlongs was .27 second off the track and stakes record set by Quality Road in this race in 2009.

Shancelot’s six-furlong split of 1:07.63, was faster than Imperial Hint’s track record of 1:07.92 for six furlongs set in Saturday’s Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt.

“I’m still ‘wow!’ ” Navarro said shortly after the race. “To say what I said a month ago, 45 days ago, that this is the best horse I ever trained … Private Zone was good, Sharp Azteca was good, X Y Jet is still good. Going into the race I saw the field and said ‘Whoa, he’s running against some good horses, am I going to be wrong?’ I guess not.”

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Shancelot won a maiden race by a neck over Bodexpress at Gulfstream in February. He didn’t run again until June 23 when he took a first-level allowance at Monmouth by 6 1/4 lengths.

Breaking from post 12 Sunday, Shancelot shot to the front and was guided into the three path by Jaramillo. He opened up a 1 1/4-length lead running a quarter in 21.79 seconds, opened it up to six after a half-mile in 43.79 seconds. Jaramillo did go to the whip a few times in the stretch, though it wasn’t needed.

Shancelot, a son of Shanghai Bobby owned by Albert and Michelle Crawford and Ivan Rodriguez, returned $4.70 as the 6-5 favorite.

“That’s his pace and he did it like it was normal,” Jaramillo said through an interpreter. “That’s just him.”

Jaramillo, who was the regular rider of $3 million earner and seven-time stakes winner X Y Jet, said “this could be the best horse I’ve ridden in my whole life.”

Nitrous finished second by 1 3/4 lengths over Honest Mischief. He was followed, in order, by Super Comet, who stumbled badly at the break, The Big S, Bourbon Calling, Achilles Warrior, Lemniscate, Garter and Tie, Wendell Fong, and Strike Silver. Classy John was eased.

Strike Silver was vanned off following the race. An hour after the Amsterdam, trainer Mark Casse said the horse was resting comfortably in his stall with a yet-to-be defined injury to his right hind ankle.

Navarro said Shancelot would ship back to Monmouth Park on Monday and, if all goes well, he would return for the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens here on Aug. 24.