Triple Crown trail veteran Il Miracolo breaks through with Smarty Jones victory
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Trainer Antonio Sano’s continued faith in Il Miracolo paid dividends when the Gun Runner colt took Tuesday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles at Parx Racing.
The Smarty Jones is the local prep for Parx’s signature event of the year, the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 23.
Il Miracolo and jockey Luis Saez found good early position tracking outside pacesetters Army Times and Ninetyprcentmaddie through fractions of 24.31 and 49.22 seconds. Saez pushed the button early on the second turn and Il Miracolo soon put away the two early leaders.
Cagliostro briefly loomed outside of the winner at the quarter pole, but Saez still had horse. Despite drifting out considerably in the final furlong, Il Miracolo finished three lengths better than Cagliostro with Daydreaming Boy another 1 3/4 lengths back in third. Then came Adero, Ninetyprcentmaddie, favored Army times, Victory Way, and Movisitor. Salute the Stars scratched.
Il Miracolo completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:48.59 and returned $9.60 to win as the fourth choice in the wagering. The Smarty Jones was Saez’s third stakes victory on the program.
After graduating in his fourth career start, Sano tried Il Miracolo in the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct, where he was beaten 31 lengths. That loss didn’t deter Sano for continuing on the Triple Crown trail earlier this year with stakes efforts in the Mucho Macho Man (finishing seventh), Grade 3 Holy Bull (fifth), Grade 2 Fountain of Youth (sixth), and Grade 1 Florida Derby (sixth).
After facing the likes of Forte and Mage, Il Miracolo finally received a needed class drop, and he responded with a front-running victory in an allowance contested around a one-turn mile at Gulfstream.
Sano again ran Il Miracolo with the big boys in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, where the colt finished seventh of nine.
Il Miracolo seemingly has a jaw made of steel, however, and he rebounded from that drubbing to run a good second behind Travers-bound Scotland in the restricted Curlin at Saratoga on July 21. Among the horses that finished behind Il Miracolo that day was Grade 1 winner Blazing Sevens.
Sano said earlier this week that he was very pleased with the way Il Miracolo trained coming out of the Curlin, and that he picked the Smarty Jones “because the race wasn’t as strong as the Travers.”
Bred by Willow Oaks Stable, Il Miracolo sold for $75,000 as a short yearling, was bought back for $190,000 as a yearling, then was purchased for $70,000 as a 2-year-old in training by owner Eduardo Soto.
A son of Gun Runner out of Grade 3-placed Tapit's World, Il Miracolo has won 3 of 13 races for career earnings of $311,625.
The first three finishers in the Smarty Jones receive free nomination, entry, and starting fees to the 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby.
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