Saratoga: National Treasure runs away to win Met Mile
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The Grade 1, $1 million Met Mile was billed as a matchup between National Treasure and White Abarrio, two of the top Thoroughbreds in North America. However, it wasn’t even close as National Treasure broke out of the gate alertly, went right to the lead, took control after six-furlongs, and drew off to win by 6 1/4 lengths.
The betting public had it correct as National Treasure was the 6-5 favorite when the race started. The Bob Baffert trainee won a pair of Grade 1 races in 12 career starts, the 2023 Preakness and the Pegasus World Cup to start 2024.
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“He’s a good horse and in his last couple works, he tipped me off that, ‘Hey, I’m back.’ I’m proud of the horse,” Baffert said by phone from California. “When he shows up, he’s super. I’m proud of him and my team.”
However, the 8-5 odds on White Abarrio did not fit his performance. He was fourth for most of the race and faded down the stretch to finish fifth in the field of six. Trained by Rick Dutrow Jr. and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the gray 5-year-old won a pair of the most important races in 2023, the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Whitney (G1).
“They went a little quick in front of me,” Ortiz said. “I was about four or five lengths off of them. I felt great and started to pick it up, but I couldn’t catch any of them. He didn’t fire today. It was not his day.”
Jockey Flavien Prat, who was riding National Treasure for the fourth time, handled the son of Quality Road with confidence. By getting to a clear lead, Prat was able to let his horse settle into a confident stride and they carved out fractions of 23.52, 45.75, 1:09.32 and 1:21.92.
“He has always shown talent,” Prat said. “There's one thing about him is he always shows up and runs his race. It was a great run today.”
The pace was too much for the horses who were chasing National Treasure early in the race. Hoist the Gold was able to hold on for third, and Castle Chaos was fourth. The only horse who was able to make up any ground during the race was Maryland-bred Post Time, and he rallied from fifth to get second.
For the betting public, National Treasure paid $4.70, 3.10 and 2.60 for $2 win, place and show wagers. Post Time was the 5-1 third choice, and he completed an $18.40 exacta. With odds of 11-1, Hoist the Gold filled the last spot in the $2 trifecta that paid $87.
With the $550,000 winner’s share of the purse, National Treasure’s career earnings moved to $5,372,000 for the ownership group led by SF Racing. With the victory, he also got a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Del Mar.
“This is the most satisfying result,” Tom Ryan of SF Racing said. “We have never won the Met Mile before, and for him to come out and do this, he’s a brilliant horse. He has that early speed and put them to the sword early and just kept traveling. He’s a superstar.”