Title Role Resisted by a Nose to Conquer the Belmont Derby at Saratoga
- Turf Diario
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The son of Too Darn Hot gamely dug deep to deny a furious late surge from West End Kid by the slimmest of margins, handing trainer Simon Crisford yet another high-profile Grade 1 triumph. The talented sophomore is set to remain in the United States with his sights firmly trained on a primary summer objective in the upcoming Saratoga Derby
SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).— Displaying immense courage and fighting tooth and nail until the final stride to turn back a furious late surge from West End Kid (Twirling Candy), Title Role secured the defining victory of his career by taking Saturday’s historic Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1) by a mere nose. The prestigious 1,800-meter turf feature at Saratoga offered a lucrative $750,000 purse.
Conditioned by Simon Crisford for Will Stroud and the Coolmore partnership, the son of Too Darn Hot fully validated his brilliant current form, registering his fourth victory across his last five starts. He entered the classic assignment on the heels of a stellar triumph in the German 2,000 Guineas (G2) at Cologne.
With Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in the irons, Title Role was forced to pivot from his initial tactical blueprint. A distinct lack of early pace in the race compelled the colt to position himself much closer to the frontend than originally anticipated, tracking from a prominent second while Touch of Fire (Constitution) set the tempo and West End Kid monitored the action from just behind.
As the field straightened into the Saratoga stretch, the winner made his definitive move to the lead. However, having expended his energy earlier than ideal, he began to feel the effects of the demanding effort in the closing stages. It was there that West End Kid and post-time favorite Remember Mamba (Kitten's Joy) launched dangerous, sweeping bids, but Title Role dug deep into his reserves to protect a razor-thin advantage at the wire. The teletimer stopped at 1:47.55, with a nose separating Title Role from West End Kid, and another neck back to Remember Mamba in third.
"He is an incredibly tough individual, and these tight-turning American courses suit him down to the ground," explained Ed Crisford, assistant to his father. "Johnny gave him a brilliant, masterful ride. We had to sit closer to the pace than we originally wanted to, but he rationed his speed beautifully and the horse responded with pure heart."
Velazquez admitted that crossing the finish line left him in suspense: "I initially thought we had done enough to get it, but after the wire I started to doubt. The key was that when I asked him for that final, extra effort, he lowered his head and kept digging until the absolute end."
The current plan calls for Title Role to remain in the United States for the summer, where his next primary objective will likely be the Saratoga Derby (G1) on August 8, prior to officially transferring into the powerhouse barn of trainer Brendan Walsh.
