Barbara D. Livingston
Quality Road (right) battles Musket Man through the stretch of Monday's Met Mile at Belmont Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Quality Road hadn't been out in 114 days and had just run six furlongs in 1:08.57 in the heat at Belmont Park. With a quarter-mile left to run in the 117th , Quality Road, the 1-4 favorite, had to be as good as advertised in order to win.
He was better.
With a spank or two from John Velazquez's whip, Quality Road pulled away from would-be challenger Musket Man in the stretch to record a 1 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Metropolitan Handicap and confirm his status as the best older male horse in training.