Trip Notes for October 29-30: Bold Ruler, Fayette, Autumn Miss

Oct. 29

Belmont

Turnback the Alarm (race 4)

COMMENT: Lewis Bay has been knocking heads with some of the best of her division. She faced no one of that caliber here and cruised to an easy win. The daughter of Bernardini went right to the lead from her inside post and took early pressure from longshot Linda Mimi while rating nicely through modest splits. Lewis Bay increased her advantage without really being asked, and held a commanding lead to the sixteenth pole when she finally was asked for some. Flora Dora, back to dirt after finishing 10th in a turf sprint here Sept. 15, bided her time early, pitched wide into the lane, came with a nice run, and finished second, 7 1/4 lengths clear of third. Eskenformoney stalked the pace, tried to make a run at the winner into the lane, then flattened out to end up third. Innovative Idea, winner of the Grade 3 Groupie Doll and third in the Grade 3 Locust Grove in her last two starts, didn’t break sharply, but still had the speed to stalk in third. She made a mild run at the winner on the far turn but then faded to last.

Belmont

Bold Ruler (race 9)

COMMENT: Stallwalkin’ Dude was coming off a second to Breeders’ Cup Sprint-bound Joking in the Grade 1 Vosburgh here Oct. 1. Stallwalkin’ Dude broke sharply, settled in fifth on the inside as Green Gratto set a solid pace, moved off the rail on the turn, surged to a clear lead, and kept Threefiveindia at bay in the final furlong. Threefiveindia, a 3-year-old facing elders after running third in the Grade 3 Gallant Bob at Parx Sept. 24, stalked the pace and came with a run along the inside to close the gap on the winner. Chad Brown trains Stallwalkin’ Dude and third-place finisher Economic Model, the favorite who was facing elders for the first time after running second in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga Aug. 27. Economic Model sat back, came wide into the lane, and put in a decent rally. Touchofstarquality, sprinting for the first time and stepping up in class, stalked in fourth early, moved up to challenge Green Gratto on the far turn, but couldn’t sustain his bid.

Keeneland

Fayette (race 9)

COMMENT: As a Grade 1 winner, Noble Bird came here with a class edge, and it showed. He jumped out to a clear early lead, set solid splits, was challenged into the lane by Divining Rod, but drew off to win easily. Divining Rod, winner of two straight at Parx in September after over a year on the bench, sat third, made a threatening run at Noble Bird into the lane, and ended up far clear of the others. Hawaakom, a rallying second to Noble Bird in the Lukas Classic at Churchill Oct. 1, was last until turning for home, angled to the rail, and closed decently. Kasaqui, moving to dirt after a couple Grade 1 turf efforts, stalked in fourth early, moved up to second going down the backstretch, was still in the hunt turning for home, but then fell apart, ending up last of eight. He now has one second in four dirt starts, so it’s likely back to turf.

Santa Anita

Autumn Miss (race 8)

COMMENT: Cover Song, coming off a 10th in a stakes on this hillside course Oct. 1, posted a 30-1 upset while competing in her first graded stakes. The daughter of Fastnet Rock sat midpack as Belvoir Bay set a solid pace, had to steady when in tight, angled in for room, moved back out, bumped with favored Danilovna who approaching midstretch, and kept on to nip that rival. She did have to survive an inquiry and rider’s objection for the bumping in the lane. Danilovna, favored off a win in her U.S. debut at Belmont, sat back after a slow start, came with her run in the lane, bumped with the eventual winner in midstretch, and stayed on to just miss. Barleysugar, coming off a third against optional claimers routing here Oct. 6, was well back coming into the lane and finished strongly to lose by a half-length. Belvoir Bay, a winner of the Unzip Me on this hillside course last time out Oct. 1, shot out to the lead, took pressure from longshot Great Page, opened up while staying on the rail coming into the lane, still held a clear lead at the eighth pole but couldn’t hold back the wave of closers in the final few yards. Nodiac, a rallying third in the Unzip Me, stalked the pace while saving ground, loomed a threat in midstretch, but then faltered. A few of these figure to come back in the Grade 2 Goldikova at this same distance here Nov. 6.