Belmont at the Big A meeting features the third leg Turf Triple on Saturday
By NY Hot List staff | Thursday, September 15, 2022
Nations Pride and Classic Causeway will face each other for the third time in the $1 million, Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational on the first Saturday of the unique Belmont at the Big A meeting.
Classic Causeway won his first start on the turf for trainer Kenny McPeek when he beat Nations Pride in the Belmont Derby, but he will have to stretch out to 1 ½ miles in the Jockey Club as Flavien Prat gets on board.
“I don’t know that surface is going to be a big deal as much as how he rates and relaxes and how long he can stay. It’s going to be an interesting run for him, it’s a mile-and-a-half,” McPeek said. “He’s a unique horse in that the pace of the race is all the difference with him.”
Nations Pride turned the tables on Classic Causeway in the Saratoga Derby when he stalked the pace to get his first win in America for trainer Charlie Appleby. He stayed in New York since the Belmont Derby to train under the care of travelling assistant Chris Connett.
“The entire trip, the horse has gone from strength to strength. You can see that in his runs,” Connett said. “Physically, he’s matured into his frame. Earlier in the year he was a nice horse. He was well thought of to run in the Derby at Epsom, but from a physical standpoint he’s just filled his frame a lot more and mentally as well. He really switches off now and is really taking it all in very well.”
The $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational (G3) – Belmont at Aqueduct, Saturday, Race 10.
(3) Nations Pride won the Saratoga Derby (G1) by almost two lengths for top European trainer Charlie Appleby after running second in the Belmont Derby (G1) in his first American start behind Classic Causeway. He stayed to train at Saratoga after his victory in the second leg of the Turf Triple Series. (6) Ardakan will make his first start in America after racing in a pair of Group 1 races in Germany including a third last time. He won a Group 2 stakes in Italy in May. (1) Classic Causeway won the Belmont Derby with an outstanding front-end effort in what was his first start on the grass for trainer Kenny McPeek. In the Saratoga Derby he got to the lead again but was overtaken by Nations Pride and the very talented Annapolis. (4) The Grey Wizard moved to the barn of Graham Motion from the Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien and made a pair of allowance starts with a second at Laurel Park and a fourth at Saratoga.
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