Annual Report Takes the Futurity at Belmont Park
The $200,000 Futurity (G2) at Belmont Park attracted a field of six two-year-olds and was won by Annual Report for Godolphin Racing LLC and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The son of Harlan’s Holiday was a $600,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton March sale of two-year-olds.
Annual Report, who went to the gate at odds of 7.40-1, was ignored by the betting public after he was sent to Parx Racing for his first start, a race in which he beat a field of eight by 5 ¼ lengths. Maybe it was the low 58 Beyer Speed Figure that he earned or the fact that a Godolphin runner was sent to Parx that fooled the betters, but today this son of Harlan’s Holiday was the class of this grade two stake.
Jimmy Bell, the racing manager of Godolphin, said, "We sent him down to Parx for the experience and he didn't do anything wrong down there. A little bit of the unknown when you go out of town then come back here for the race which probably was reflected in the odds but he's a runner.”
With “Jersey” Joe Bravo in the saddle, who is having one of the best years of his long career, Annual Report had some trouble at the break and settled at the back of the pack. Manhattan Dan was hustled to the lead and opened up a two length lead after a going the first quarter in 22.24. At that point, Bravo and the winner were seven lengths behind. After the half-mile went in 45.22, they had moved up to fifth position and had closed to within four lengths of the leader.
Moving around the turn and into the home stretch, Bravo and Annual Report went wide, easily took the lead, and widened to a margin of victory of a length and a half with a final time of 1:09.82 for the six furlongs.
"I was very confident today. There were some nice horses in the Futurity, but when he switched leads he leveled off so nicely. I think he's going to step up every race with maturity,” explained Bravo. "I tried to send him away there in the first couple jumps. It was not my intention to be that far back but it just got a little tight down the backside. He was really comfortable and going good, and by the three-eighths pole he started getting to them and getting to them. He really hit his stride."
McLaughlin was also impressed with the victory, “He got squeezed and dropped back but once he got going he was very impressive. That was a nice win. It ended up an excellent race because he went to the lead at Parx [but today] he took the dirt well and finished strong. We'll probably stretch him out before too long. I loved the way he moved through the turn."
The Futurity is a race with an illustrious past having had winners like Riva Ridge, Secretariat, Affirmed, Swale, and Holy Bull, but it lost grade one status in recent years. Annual Report joins Blofeld, In Trouble, and Overanalyze as the most recent victors.
King Kranz, who was still a maiden and raced for Zayat Stables and trainer John Terranova, was the 1.75-1 betting favorite. He came from behind to finish second passing the early leader Manhattan Dan who hung on for third.
Annual Report paid his supporters $16.80, 7.00, and 4.20 while staying unbeaten in two career starts. The $120,000 winner’s share of the purse upped his earnings to $170,400.