Innovation Economy Goes Distance in Belmont Gold Cup

Innovation Economy conserved his energy early, and showed up late to win Friday's $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational by a half-length over Unitarian in the race for older male turf runners. It was the winner's stakes debut.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the two-mile turf race, Innovation Economy didn't have the best of starts, and was well off the pace carved out by the Todd Pletcher-trained Red Rifle, but rallied strongly through the stretch to complete the seldom run distance in 3:22.17. It was Ortiz's third stakes winner on the card and the second win for trainer Chad Brown, who won the opener with Lady Serena. 

"This horse has been so consistent," said winning trainer Chad Brown, who one race earlier suffered the disappointment of finishing third and fourth, respectively, with the favored entry of Kitten's Queen and Stephanie's Kitten in the Grade 2 New York. "He's lightly raced, but has a tremendous amount of stamina for a horse that hasn't run much. It's been a little bit of a frustrating day for us, but the ride that Irad gave him was perfect. The only instructions I gave him were 'show them you're the best turf rider in the game,' and I think he did. He missed the break a little bit, but he didn't panic and saved ground. It's our job to put the right horses underneath him, and I think we did."

Ortiz said he accepted the hand he was dealt.

"I didn't want to be that far back but that's the game," said Ortiz of the trip he carved out. "When they broke he missed the start, so I dropped in and saved ground and saved my horse for the end, and he was there. I believe a lot in [trainer] Chad Brown, all his horses finish good. I waited and I was patient and when I asked him, he took off. It was a very nice day, very special."

Unitarian, who was looking to give trainer Pletcher back-to-back wins in the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational, stayed strong to the end, but the winner had more to give, and drove past the favorite as the wire loomed.

"He ran good, I had no excuse," Unitarian's rider, Javier Castellano, said. "The other horse he came from behind and was off the pace, too. We just got beat today. I saved all the ground in good position. When I moved turning for home I thought I was home free and the winner was much the best today."

Dynamic Sky finished third, and was followed under the wire by Reflecting. Red Rifle, the pacesetter going under the wire for the first time, and all the way up to the final quarter mile, retreated rapidly and finished ninth. 

Innovation Economy, a 4-year-old son of Dynaformer owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, returned $7 to win.

Bred by Dr. John A. Chandler in Kentucky, Innovation Economy has now won his last three races. His bankroll now stands at $285,003.

Source: NYRA Communications