Tam Lin scores easily in Kelso

One day after their Cocoa Beach (Chi) (Doneraile Court) captured the Beldame

S. (G1), Godolphin Stable and trainer Saeed bin Suroor picked up their second

graded stakes score of the weekend at Belmont Park when their five-year-old

gelding TAM LIN (GB) (Selkirk) drew off late for a decisive 4 1/4-length score

in Sunday's $248,000

Kelso H.

(G2) over a soft Widener turf course. Under Javier Castellano, Tam Lin rated

in second behind Forefathers (Gone West), who set splits of :23 4/5, :47 4/5 and

1:14, but was roused to the lead at the top of the stretch and extended his

margin to finish one mile in 1:39. The near 5-2 second choice, Tam Lin returned

$6.90, $3.50 and $2.50 while topping the $21.40 exacta and $43.20 trifecta

(3-6-5).

Stalingrad (Glitterman), the 2-1 favorite off a narrow loss in the

Fourstardave H. (G2) to Saturday's Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship

(G1) winner Red Giant (Giant's Causeway),

was second best by three-quarters of a lengths over 5-2 third choice Operation

Red Dawn (Miswaki). Stalingrad brought back $3.30 and $2.50 while Operation Red

Dawn paid $2.40 to show. Tiring from his early exertion, Forefathers retreated

to fourth and was followed by Giant Wrecker (Giant's Causeway) and Media Play

(Alphabet Soup).

A three-time listed winner and Group 3-placed in his native England, Tam Lin

was unplaced in his American debut last March at Tampa Bay Downs, but later

captured the Scottish Monk S. at Belmont and ran second to Breeders' Cup Mile

(G1) winner Kip Deville (Kipling) in the Poker H. (G3). His Kelso score was

preceded by an unplaced effort in Woodbine's Play the King S. (Can-G2) over

seven grassy furlongs. Tam Lin has now earned $406,818 from a line of 16-6-3-2.

Bred by Gainsborough Farm, Tam Lin was produced by the multiple

classic-placed La Nuit Rose (Rainbow Quest), herself the daughter of Prix de

Diane (French Oaks (Fr-G1) winner Caerlina (Ire) (Caerleon). This female family

has produced Italian champion filly Khariyda (Fr) (Shakapour), French highweight

Kartajana ((Ire) (Shernazar [Ire]) and 2005 Prix Jean Prat (Fr-G1) winner Turtle

Bowl (Dyhim Diamond [Ire]).