Romansh Delivers in Discovery
Romansh kicked off the graded stakes schedule at Aqueduct Racetrack's fall meet in impressive fashion on Saturday, taking charge at the top of the stretch and going to a 9 ¼-length victory over Norumbega in the 69th running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Discovery Handicap for 3-year-olds.
Enjoying a confident ride from jockey Jose Ortiz, Romansh ran well off the rail in third as Midnight Taboo and Vegas No Show led through a quarter mile in 23.49 seconds and a half in 47.36. Swinging into action on the far turn, Romansh barreled to the front approaching the quarter pole and was never threatened as he kicked away to win in 1:48.28 for 1 1/8 miles.
"I was just a passenger," said Ortiz. "I raced in third, outside everybody, and had a beautiful trip. It turned out great."
The victory was the second in a stakes for Romansh, who was placed first in the Curlin on July 26 at Saratoga Race Course and subsequently ran a creditable fifth, beaten four lengths, in the Grade 1 Travers. Following a sixth-place effort in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby on September 21, the Bernardini colt was given a brief freshening with the Discovery as his next target.
"We were rebuilding," said Pedro Mateo, assistant to winning trainer Tom Albertrani, of Romansh, for whom Godolphin Stable paid $750,000 at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton yearling sales at Saratoga. "At Parx [Racing] he might not have liked the track, you never kinow. But he had been training very well and we were hopeful he would run the way he did over the summer. We always thought he was a nice horse and now he's maturing."
The 5-2 second choice in the field of eight, Romansh returned $7.90 for a $2 win bet. With a record of 3-0-1 from seven starts, all in 2013, he has now earned $283,580.
Finishing a length behind Norumbega in third was Micromanage, part of the favored Repole Stable entry along with Midnight Taboo. Checking in fourth was Battier, who was followed home by Mr Palmer, Midnight Taboo, Vegas No Show, and Bad Hombre.