By ED FOUNTAINE
Posted: 3:15 am
June 30, 2008
Tremont to Dagnabit
Times have changed. Not too long ago, 2-year-olds from the Todd Pletcher barn, ridden by John Velazquez, won every race in sight. The pendulum began to swing the other way last summer at Saratoga, however, and it continued yesterday in the $100,000 Tremont at Belmont Park.
Mr. Mistoffelees, a $1.5M son of Storm Cat owned by the mighty Coolmore crew, was 1-4 under Velazquez after winning his April 24 debut over the Polytrack at Keeneland gate to wire by 91/4 lengths; of 53G in the show pool for the Tremont, 44G was bet on him.
After stumbling out of the gate from post 1, Mr. Mistoffelees chased the pace along the rail, but he never really got involved and came up empty when asked for run, finishing last of five, beaten 20 lengths.
The winner, rallying outside under Cornelio Velasquez, was Dagnabit, the only NY-bred in the field. Dagnabit is trained, as the pendulum swung some more, by the Peck's Bad Boy of racing, Big Brown's Rick Dutrow Jr., who won Saturday's Suburban Handicap with 40-1 Frost Giant.
NINTH RACE: Another stumbling break spelled another off-the-board finish for another Pletcher 2-year-old, Pride, a 475G Lion Heart filly also owned by Coolmore, who finished fourth in the $100,000 Astoria as the 9-5 second choice. The runaway winner was Bold Union, favored at 9-5 after winning her June 1 debut at Monmouth Park by 103/4 lengths for trainer Kelly Breen. The daughter of Dixie Union, a 75G purchase, pressed the early pace, took command turning for home and drew off to score by 93/4 under Stewart Elliott.
PICK SIX
Winning numbers: 4-3-8-9-6-2
9 winners (6 of 6) each paid $31,064
344 consolation (5 of 6) each paid $233
No carryover
