Champ is ‘Main’ Contender in Mac Diarmida

Recently crowned champion older male and champion turf male Main Sequence (Aldebaran) makes his seasonal debut today in the GII Mac Diarmida S. contested at 1 3/8 miles over the Gulfstream lawn. The Flaxman Holdings homebred has been unstoppable since coming to America and being placed in the hands of trainer Graham Motion. 

Making his American debut at Monmouth Park July 6, the 6-year-old gelding sprung a mild upset at odds of 8-1 when powering home late in what would become his signature style to capture the GI United Nations S. at this distance. Victorious once again next out in Saratoga’s GI Sword Dancer S. Aug. 17, the chestnut stamped his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup with a thrilling success in the ‘Win and You’re In’ GI Turf Classic Invitational S. on Belmont’s Super Saturday card Sept. 27. A bit overlooked at 6-1 in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf, Main Sequence displayed his trademark late turn of foot to mow down the rest of the field and seal the deal on a championship season. 

His regular rider Rajiv Maragh, who was replaced by John Velazquez in the Breeders’ Cup after breaking his arm in a spill on Super Saturday, gets back aboard today. 

“Basically he had a freshening in November after the Breeders’ Cup and had his first breeze at Fair Hill before Christmas,” Motion said. “Really, everything has gone pretty smoothly. He’s breezed mostly every week. Knock on wood, everything has gone well. I ended up giving him just about a month off because he was quite full of himself and quite eager to get on with doing something. I would say he looks pretty fit, to be honest.” 

West Point Thoroughbreds’ Twilight Eclipse (Purim) spent most of last season chasing after Main Sequence. A neck second in the United Nations, the Tom Albertrani trainee was third in the Sword Dancer, runner-up in the Turf Classic and completed the trifecta again in the Breeders’ Cup. 

“We were very pleased with his race in the Breeders’ Cup,” Albertrani said. “We’d been really happy with the horse all last year. Right now it looks like he’s in great shape. He’s training really well. For me, the horse couldn’t look any better.” 

Lets Go Stable’s GIII American Derby winner Divine Oath (Broken Vow) captured the GIII Kent S. at Delaware Sept. 20 and was a close third in the GII Twilight Derby on the Breeders’ Cup undercard Oct. 31. The Todd Pletcher pupil closed out his sophomore season with a victory in the GIII W.L. McKnight H. going 1 1/2 miles over this turf course last time out Dec. 27.