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Invasor holds Sun King at bay in Whitney
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Invasor (inside) kept his record perfect stateside while taking his third straight Grade 1
(Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) |
Shadwell Stable's INVASOR (Arg) (Candy Stripes) rallied to the lead leaving
the far turn and gamely repulsed the bid of Sun King (Charismatic) to capture
Saturday's $750,000 Whitney H. (G1) by a nose. Winner of the Suburban H. (G1)
and Pimlico Special H. (G1) in his first two U.S. starts, the Kiaran
McLaughlin-trained colt cut back in distance for the 1 1/8-mile Whitney,
stopping the timer over the fast Saratoga track in 1:49, and received another
heady ride from 18-year-old Fernando Jara. Now eight for nine overall, Invasor
eclipsed the $1 million mark in earnings with the $450,000 payday, improving his
bankroll to $1,204,070."This is a special horse," McLaughlin said. "I was a little worried for
Fernando, being that he is 18 years old and this is the first time he's really
had a bull's eye on his back. When you have the horse underneath you, it makes
things easier. This is a great win. It has been an unbelievable year. Hopefully,
we can keep these big wins coming."
The Southern Hemisphere-bred four-year-old stumbled leaving the starting gate
and then settled into a good stalking trip in fifth as Siphon City (Siphon
[Brz]) sprinted to a clear lead and drilled an opening quarter-mile in :23. With
Wanderin Boy (Seeking the Gold) putting the pressure on the pacesetter and
Invasor traveling comfortably in fourth, Siphon City turned the next splits in
:47 1/5 and 1:11 1/5. Jara split rivals approaching the five-eighths pole and
gained ground on the far turn, angling out wide for clear sailing as the bay
seized command at the top of the stretch. Getting a mile in 1:36 3/5, Invasor
never led by much but held the advantage throughout the stretch, digging in
resolutely when challenged. Sun King ran a bang-up race for second, closing from
far off the pace to loom a serious threat for the win in the final furlong.
"Once Sun King got to him, he just gave me more," Jara said. "He never let
him by after the finish line."
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Sent off the 8-5 second choice in the field of nine, Invasor returned $5.50,
$3.80 and $3.10 and keyed the $39 exacta with the near 7-1 Sun King, who gave
back $5.70 and $4.80. It was 5 3/4 lengths back to West Virginia (Tomorrows
Cat), who closed from last to get the show at 16-1 and paid $6.50. The trifecta
totaled $269.50, and the 2-9-6-1 superfecta, with 76-1 longshot We Can Seek
(Chi) (Seeker's Reward) in fourth, was $3,263. Premium Tap (Pleasant Tap) was
next under the wire and followed by Wanderin Boy. Grade 1 winner Flower Alley
(Distorted Humor), the 3-2 favorite, raced close to the winner early but lacked
a rally upon reaching the top of the stretch, eventually fading to seventh.
Siphon City and Survivalist (Danzig) rounded out the order of finish.
Bred in Argentina by Haras Clausan, Invasor was named Horse of the Year in
Uruguay last year, winning the Triple Crown and his first five starts in South
America. He suffered his only career setback in his first 2006 appearance,
shipping to Dubai for a fourth-place effort in the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) in late
March, and rebounded with a much-improved showing when making his U.S. bow in
the Pimlico Special in mid-May, winning by 1 1/4 lengths. He improved off that
effort with a smashing 4 1/4-length triumph in the Suburban, and his Whitney
score clearly makes him as one of the leading contenders for Horse of the Year
honors this season.
Invasor is out of Quendom (Interprete), who is a full sister to Group 1
heroine Reina Victoriosa (Arg) and Group 2 king Qualified. Reina Victoriosa is
the dam of recent Iowa Derby winner More Than Regal (More Than Ready), who will
compete in Sunday's West Virginia Derby (G3).
McLaughlin said Invasor will have one more start before the November 4 Breeders' Cup
Classic (G1), in either the Woodward S. (G1) on September 2 or Jockey Club Gold
Cup (G1) on October 7.
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