Unbeaten Lady Eli Dominates the Belmont Oaks
The $1,000,000 purse for the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) attracted 13 challengers for the undefeated three-year-old filly turf star, Lady Eli. As it turned out they were only competing for the $185,000 second place share, as Lady Eli won her sixth consecutive race to stay unbeaten. Lady Eli’s easy 2 ¾ length victory confirmed her superstar status.
Usually a man of few words, trainer Chad Brown had trouble containing his enthusiasm after the race. “I was nervous, her toughest test yet going a mile and a quarter with a huge field and a tricky post on the inside,” said Brown. “Irad [jockey Ortiz] rode her beautifully. I’m just so happy that the fans got to see her. To me she is the best turf horse that I have ever had. She certainly has the most devastating turn of foot I've ever worked around. I just love the opportunity to show her off to everybody.”
That is quite a statement since Brown is considered to be one of the best turf trainers in America, having already won five Breeders’ Cup Turf races.
A brisk pace in the mile and a quarter race certainly helped Lady Eli. Lady Zuzu and Pine Needles set the quick early fractions of 22.93, 47.23, and 1:11.71.
Lady Eli broke alertly from her number two post-position and then Ortiz let her settle on the rail well behind the front runners. As the field went into the clubhouse turn, Ortiz chose to make his move to the outside. He was not alone in that strategy and ended up very wide as the field turned for home.
It made no difference, as Lady Eli seemed to go by the leaders without effort. Down the stretch Ortiz kept the Sheep Pond Partners runner busy as she left the other horses to compete for second place.
None of the front runners were present at the end. As they faded down the stretch, long shot Itsonlyactingdad (35-1) and European Outstanding closed to finish second and third. Irish-bred Outstanding is a full sister to Magician, the winner of the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Turf.
After the race Ortiz, who has ridden her in all six starts, described the trip, “I had a perfect trip, no complaints. We [Chad Brown and I] talked about the race in the morning, don't get in too much trouble in the race. We expected to have the best horse in the race so that's why we saved ground the first half of the race, but after that, I know nobody noticed us so I just took her out and looked behind and before the half-mile I knew I had a lot of horse. Nobody put pressure on me and she took off."
Trainer Chad Brown has now won this race three years in a row, including both runnings of the newly created Belmont Oaks and in 2013 as the Garden City Stakes.
For Lady Eli, the win in the Belmont Oaks is her second in a million dollar race along with the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Her record moves up to 6: 6-0-0 with earnings of $1,449,800. As the overwhelming 4-5 favorite, she paid $3.80, $2.80, $2.40. The $2 exacta with longshot Itsonlyactingdad paid $69.50. The final time was an impressive 1:59.27, almost two full seconds faster than the boys in the Belmont Derby.
Brown talked about where we might she his superstar next, "We'll have to take a look at [the schedule]. We have the Lake Placid [Grade 2, $300,000 on August 14] at Saratoga if we wanted to keep her against straight 3-year-old fillies, we also have the Beverly D. if we want to look at bigger goals and run her against older fillies and mares. We could also wait until the Breeders' Cup [to run her against older] because we have the Queen Elizabeth right at Keeneland, where the Breeders' Cup is being held. Her next major is the Queen Elizabeth. How we get there, we'll have to talk about it."