Roja, Tawny Port and West End Kid Shine on Belmont Stakes Festival Opening Day
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The trio captured the Intercontinental Stakes (G2), Belmont Gold Cup Stakes (G2), and Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3), respectively, all on the turf, providing a memorable start to Saratoga's biggest week of racing
SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special to Turf Diario).- The opening day of the Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga offered a little bit of everything: pure speed, extreme stamina, and the emergence of a new star among the turf sophomores. Between Roja's victory in the Intercontinental Stakes (G2T), Tawny Port's marathon display in the Belmont Gold Cup Stakes (G2T), and West End Kid's continued rise in the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T), Thursday produced three very different stories linked by a common theme—the feeling that there is still much more to come.
The afternoon began with the speedsters in the Intercontinental Stakes, where Roja confirmed she is currently at the peak of her powers. The daughter of Karakontie, trained by H. Graham Motion and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., broke sharply and never looked back.
Setting torrid fractions and maintaining her momentum throughout, the representative of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables stopped the clock for the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:00.44, defeating her stablemate Italian Soiree (Uncle Mo) by 1 1/4 lengths, while the favorite Shoot It True (Munnings) completed the trifecta.
It was the first graded victory for the 4-year-old mare, who had already scored at Churchill Downs and now answered the call in a much tougher assignment.
"She's so fast she looks like a Quarter Horse," Motion said afterward, while Ortiz praised the ease with which she established command and controlled the race. Trouble leaving the gate for In Our Time (Not This Time) and Gratefully (Laoban) only further smoothed the path for a mare who appears to be developing rapidly.
If Roja dazzled through speed, Tawny Port did so through stamina.
The veteran son of Pioneerof the Nile captured the Belmont Gold Cup Stakes over two miles and, in the process, earned an automatic invitation to the 2026 Melbourne Cup (G1).
At seven years of age, the trainee of Miguel Clement continues to prove he belongs to a nearly extinct breed: the genuine marathon horse. Patiently handled by Flavien Prat through much of the journey, he advanced boldly along the rail in upper stretch, swept past Ireland's Navy Seal (Dubawi), and drew away to score by 2 1/2 lengths.
His final time of 3:17.75 established a new track record.
Seventh in the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1), Tawny Port has built a career around durability and consistency. With six victories and more than $2.3 million in earnings, the bay appears to have found his ideal niche in marathon turf races.
"He's a pure athlete and incredibly tough," said Clement, who did not hide his enthusiasm about the possibility of shipping to Australia for the Melbourne Cup. Before considering that international adventure, however, Tawny Port is expected to remain at Saratoga for the Christophe Clement Turf Stakes (G1T), the race renamed in honor of the late trainer.
The third major story of the day came in the Pennine Ridge Stakes, where West End Kid confirmed he is one of the most exciting turf colts of his generation.
The son of Twirling Candy extended his winning streak to three and remained unbeaten since the addition of blinkers.
Despite showing signs of nervousness in the gate, the Will Walden trainee quickly secured a perfect stalking position under Tyler Gaffalione. Always close to the pace, he took command entering the stretch and then comfortably held off the late bids of Blackmail (Not This Time) and Bottas (Vekoma) to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:40.94 for 1 1/16 miles.
Purchased for $350,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, West End Kid had already impressed at Keeneland and Churchill Downs. On Thursday, he took another significant step forward with his first stakes victory.
"He's got a tremendous turn of foot, and we still haven't seen his ceiling," Walden and Gaffalione agreed after the race. His next target could be the Belmont Derby (G1T) on July 4, also at Saratoga.
So while the Belmont Stakes Festival was only just getting underway, Saratoga had already delivered three meaningful storylines.
Roja emerged as a new force among the turf sprinters, Tawny Port earned the right to dream of Melbourne, and West End Kid confirmed he has the talent to become one of the leading turf sophomores in training.
A first-class prologue to a week whose most anticipated chapters are still to come.
