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Corinthian reigns supreme in Met Mile
Lawyer Ron offered a good rally but could never reach even terms with the winner, and runner-up Political Force was never a serious threat while finishing fast from off the pace. Corinthian finished eight furlongs over the fast track in 1:34 3/5. "When I saw him break and laying that close, I knew we were in business," Jerkens said. "When he is juicy and on the muscle, he's right." Off at nearly 10-1, Corinthian returned $21.60, $11.40 and $6.50 as the seventh choice in the nine-horse field and keyed the $285 Jerkens exacta with the 24-1 Political Force, who is trained by James' father, Allen Jerkens. "I thought we had Lawyer Ron, and then I said, 'Oh my God, here comes 'The Chief' (Allen Jerkens),'" the winning conditioner said. Place returned $21.40 and $9.20, and it was a half-length back to 8-5 favorite Lawyer Ron, who gave back $2.90. The 8-7-2 trifecta tallied $1,527. Sun King (Charismatic), the 7-2 second choice, finished another three lengths back in fourth and was followed by Latent Heat, Silver Wagon, Half Ours, Silent Name (Sunday Silence [Jpn]), who stumbled badly at the start, and Mr. Umphrey. Accountforthegold (Successful Appeal) was withdrawn. Corinthian broke his maiden at Aqueduct in November 2005, but he had faltered as the odds-on choice in two New York appearances since then, most recently finishing fifth at 4-5 in the Excelsior Breeders' Cup H. (G3) after leaping in the air at the break. He finished first in two straight starts at Gulfstream last year, including the Fountain of Youth S. (G2) in which he hit the wire one length clear but was disqualified to third for interference, and opened his 2007 campaign with two more victories in South Florida, including a score in the Gulfstream Park H. (G2). He more than doubled his career earnings to $694,273 with the Memorial Day victory, and his career line reads 9-5-1-2. "From what I know of this horse, he's come full circle," Desormeaux noted. "You couldn't have planted me at the half-mile pole and asked for better position. When a good horse is traveling well, :45 feels like :48. I thought we were going slow, but I knew the caliber of horse I was on." The winner was bred in the Bluegrass State by Gracefield Equine and Hargus Sexton, and attracted a bid of $385,000 at the 2004 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale. He was produced from the unraced Multiply (Easy Goer) and was preceded in stakes glory by 1999 San Rafael S. (G2) hero Desert Hero (Sea Hero). Corinthian has a promising three-year-old half-brother named Vitruvius (E Dubai), who rolled to a 3 3/4-length allowance/optional claiming victory at Aqueduct to remain unbeaten in two starts; a two-year-old full sister named Be Fruitful; and an unnamed yearling half-sister by Silver Deputy.
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