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Main Sequence catches Imagining in final strides of Sword
Dancer
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| Main Sequence flashed his tail, but snatched the spoils from the blinkered Imagining
(NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography/Chelsea Durand) |
The Niarchos family's homebred Main Sequence made it two-for-two in the
United States with another last-gasp victory in Sunday's Grade 1, $500,000
Sword
Dancer Invitational at
Saratoga. In a
manner reminiscent of his late-running heroics in the July 6 United Nations at
Monmouth, the Graham Motion charge went into turbo drive in deep stretch and
thrust his head in front of gallant pacesetter Imagining.The 2-1 favorite, Main Sequence got away to an even more lackadaisical start
than he did last time. He was slowly away in the United Nations, but on Sunday,
he actually hit the gate and found himself a few lengths behind the rest of the
field. But the classy ex-European readily regrouped for Rajiv Maragh, passing
Perfect Timber and settling into a comfortable spot one from the rear.
Meanwhile, O' Prado Ole was matching strides with Imagining through an
opening quarter in :23 1/5 on the firm inner turf. Imagining then wrested
command as they rounded the first of three turns. After a strong half-mile in
:47, Imagining dialed it down through fractions of 1:12 3/5 and 1:37 2/5.
Twilight Eclipse dragged his way into second, and when Imagining reached the
1 1/4-mile mark in 2:01 3/5, he was poised to pounce. Taking a stern run at the
longtime leader in the stretch, Twilight Eclipse tried to collar him, but could
not get past. Imagining gamely responded to the challenge, repelled Twilight
Eclipse, and edged away again. |
Although Main Sequence marched into third, he still had three lengths to make
up inside the final furlong, and the top two were not stopping. That wasn't
enough to deter the deep closer, however, for he had a blistering piece of
acceleration up his sleeve. Main Sequence delivered it in the nick of time to
finish 1 1/2 miles in 2:24 3/5.
"He broke slowly," Maragh recapped. "He was a little unsettled in the gate
like he tends to be. He broke slower than I was hoping, but he kind of just
adapted after that and everything kind of fell into place. I just wanted to get
into a nice flow. After he ran about a sixteenth of a mile, he got into his
rhythm, his speed. I just wanted make the horse tell me when was the right time
to go.
"Coming off the turn, he was like, 'Let's go,' so we went," Maragh continued.
"He was full of run. I know we were catching two good horses, and they weren't
going to go down too easily. But he was full of run, and it seemed like we might
have just gotten there right on time."
"Just hoping he gets there," Motion said of watching the stretch run. "I
didn't think he got there, actually. I really didn't think he got there, so when
I saw the rerun, I thought it was unbelievable.
"Rajiv did a great job. I told him if he doesn't break don't worry about it,
and that's what he did. (Breaking slowly) has been his trait all along. I talked
to (former trainer) David Lanigan about it a lot, and there's really not a whole
lot we can do to change him at this stage.
"It really helps a horse like this when they go an honest pace in these
races, and so often they don't. But I think (the :47 half-mile) helped him. It's
going to be tough for him. When he's running against these kind of horses, if
he's going to spot them those kind of lengths it's going to be tough."
Imagining's connections paid tribute to the winner.
"I had a good trip," jockey Joel Rosario said. "I probably thought he was
going to be following somebody, but I ended up being on the lead. He tried hard.
He just got beat by a horse who is really going good right now."
"He's always been funny with his leads in the stretch," trainer Shug
McGaughey said. "I don't know whether it's the (tote) board or what. He ran a
great race. He did all the work; a good horse beat us. I'm disappointed he lost,
but I'm not disappointed in his effort."
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| Rounding the final turn, Twilight Eclipse engaged Imagining, and Main Sequence (far left) had work to do
(NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) |
Imagining crossed the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Twilight
Eclipse. War Dancer, Amira's Prince, O'Prado Ole and Perfect Timber rounded out
the order of finish.In addition to furnishing $6.10 to win, Main Sequence improved his own resume
to 16-6-3-3 and became a millionaire with $1,288,311 in the bank. The chestnut
gelding was originally trained in England by David Lanigan. He won his first
four career starts, capped by the Lingfield Derby Trial that had been
transferred to Polytrack. Best of the rest behind Camelot in the 2012 Derby at
Epsom, Main Sequence suffered a nightmare-trip fourth in the Grand Prix de
Paris, or else he might well have won a Group 1 laurel in Europe. He ended his
2012 season with a close second in the Great Voltigeur and a fifth in the St
Leger.
Making his 2013 premiere in the Buckhounds at Ascot, Main Sequence faded to a
distant third. He performed much better next time in the Brigadier Gerard at
Sandown, where he went down by only a half-length to Mukhadram, winner of this
season's Eclipse. Main Sequence's losing skid continued in his four remaining
English appearances, checking in fourth in the Pontefract Castle and third in a
pair of Group 3s, the September over Kempton's Polytrack and the Arc Trial at
Newbury, before never factoring when eighth in the October 19 Champion Stakes.
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Main Sequence was subsequently shipped to Motion, only to become sick upon
his arrival in the United States. He returned from an eight-month layoff to earn
his top-level breakthrough in the United Nations, denying Twilight Eclipse and
securing a spot in the starting gate for the
Breeders' Cup Turf at
Santa Anita.
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| Twilight Eclipse (center), runner-up in last year's Sword Dancer, was a close third
(NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography/Lauren King) |
That also made him a logical candidate for this past Saturday's Arlington
Million. But his maternal relative Smoking Sun, a current French Group 2 winner,
was already set to sport the Niarchos colors in the 32nd edition of the Million.
As it turned out, Smoking Sun wound up a subpar sixth in Chicago, beaten eight
lengths by Hardest Core.Main Sequence is now bound for the Joe Hirsch Turf
Classic on September 27 at Belmont Park, where he will bid for a Grade 1 hat
trick.
"He just thrived after his last race," Motion said. "He looks better, he
trained better. He seems like a happy horse.
"I knew he was a really good horse, but you don't expect to win these kinds
of races off the bat like this."
The Kentucky-bred Main Sequence is a product of the Niarchos family's Flaxman
Holdings, top and bottom. He is by the Niarchos' champion sprinter Aldebaran
(who is himself a son of Mr. Prospector and the Niarchos' multiple Group
1-winning mare Chimes of Freedom). Main Sequence's dam, the Group 3-placed
Pivotal mare Ikat, likewise descends from a maternal line cultivated by the
Niarchos family. Ikat is a half-sister to Smoking Sun as well as to Group
2-placed stakes scorer Zhiyi.
Main Sequence's second dam is Group 2-placed stakes victress Burning Sunset,
herself a half-sister to 2007 Epsom Oaks winner Light Shift; English highweight
mare Shiva; multiple Group 2 hero Limnos; Grade 1-placed Hyades; and Molasses,
the dam of Group 3 scorer Magadan.
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Main Sequence's fourth dam is French champion and classic winner Northern
Trick, who was brought into the Niarchos fold when purchased for $530,000 as a
Keeneland July yearling in 1982. Her influence has extended to Brazil, with such
descendants as two-time champion Jeune-Turc and Group 1 victor Nonno Luigi.
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