Grade I Hat Trick for Main Sequence

Flaxman Holdings homebred Main Sequence took his U.S. record to a perfect three-for-three with a race which mirrored his wins in the July 6 GI United Nations S. and Aug. 17 GI Sword Dancer Invitational. The 5-year-old gelding broke slowly in both of those previous outings before closing late to best first Twilight Eclipse by a neck and then Imagining by a head. 
Restless in the gate and off a step slowly once again, Main Sequence was last in the early strides and angled to the rail. He pulled his way to midpack as Imagining set a dawdling pace. Main Sequence weaved between horses to loom a threat while four wide into the stretch, while Twilight Eclipse was waiting for racing room along the hedge. Twilight Eclipse tipped out a path to tackle the pacesetter just as Main Sequence surged within the final sixteenth. The two rivals exchanged bumps in the final strides, but Main Sequence grittily turned back Twilight Eclipse for his third straight Grade I victory. A claim of foul was disallowed by the stewards. 
“What a cool horse,” said winning trainer Graham Motion. “Ironically, I thought he ran his most professional race today and then you had the bump right before the wire. The only thing I’ve ever told [jockey] Rajiv [Maragh] is just not to worry about him. Even if he doesn’t break well, don’t worry about it. I was actually a little surprised how close he was once he got away from there today. He was much more in the race than he has been.” Motion admitted he had to sweat out the inquiry. “I was kind of sick, to be honest [during the inquiry]. I thought it would have been a little bit cruel to take it away, but he definitely bumped the other horse. I feel bad for West Point [owner of Twilight Eclipse]. I train for them and that horse has run three big races and he’s come out on the wrong end of them.” 
Jose Lezcano, aboard Twilight Eclipse, said the bump may have cost his horse the win. “My horse almost went by, but [Main Sequence] hit me so hard my horse lost his balance,” Lezcano said. “I had to stop riding.” 
Chad Brown saddled the favored entry of Big Blue Kitten (Kitten’s Joy), fourth, and Real Solution (Kitten’s Joy), sixth. 
“I’m disappointed,” Brown said. “They went off the favorites; it’s very disappointing. We’ll just regroup with both of them. Real Solution just didn’t have it today going a 1 1/2 miles. Big Blue Kitten ran well. The pace really hurt us. I thought the top two horses ran terrific. Our horse, we could have used a little more pace. It would have helped our chances.” 
Main Sequence is out of stakes winner Ikat (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), a half-sister to French group winner Smoking Sun (Smart Strike) and to multiple group placed Zhiyi (Henrythenavigator). During his European campaign with trainer David Lanigan, the chestnut won the 2012 G3 Derby Trial before running second behind Camelot (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) in the G1 Epsom Derby. He hit the board in four additional group races before being transferred to Graham Motion’s barn. 
Saturday, Belmont Park 
JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $600,000, BEL, 9-27, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:26 1/5, fm. 
1–MAIN SEQUENCE, 126, g, 5, by Aldebaran 
     1st Dam: Ikat (Ire) (GSP-Fr), by Pivotal (GB) 
     2nd Dam: Burning Sunset (GB), by Caerleon 
     3rd Dam: Lingerie (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB) 
O/B-Flaxman Holdings Ltd (KY); T-H Graham Motion; 
J-Rajiv Maragh. $360,000. Lifetime Record: GSW & 
G1SP-Eng, 17-7-3-3, $1,648,311. Werk Nick Rating:
C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Twilight Eclipse, 126, g, 5, Purim–My Twilight 
Dancer, by Twilight Agenda. ($1,000 yrl ’10 
KEEJAN). O-West Point Thoroughbreds; B-Epona 
Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Thomas Albertrani. $120,000. 
3–Imagining, 126, h, 6, Giant’s Causeway– 
Daydreaming, by A.P. Indy. O/B-Phipps Stable (KY); 
T-Claude R McGaughey III. $60,000. 
Margins: NK, 1, 1. Odds: 1.95, 7.40, 3.30. 
Also Ran: Big Blue Kitten, Hangover Kid, Real Solution, Medal Count. Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.