Directive (Gun Runner), now with the experience of a start under her belt, made the most of her second start against an over-matched field of experienced maidens.
Second going 6 1/2 furlongs on the local track Apr. 3, Thursday's 1-5 favorite had to contend with a muddy track but took advantage of her early speed to keep her face clean while largely left alone through fractions of :23.08 and :46.20.
18-1 longshot Moonlit (Daredevil), the other second-time starter in the field, did well to keep pace into the stretch but was then left hanging for second as Directive scampered clear into the final furlong under a motionless Dylan Davis, checking in 7 3/4 lengths in front on the line.
Bred in the purple as one would expect from a Juddmonte homebred, Directive is a daughter of GISW Antonoe and a half-sister to a pair of Grade I winners in Segesta (Ghostzapper), who took the GI Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 11, and Salamis (Speightstown).
Antonoe has a 2-year-old full-sister to Salamis and is due this season to Justify.
DIRECTIVE breaks her maiden in the first race of the Belmont at the Big A Spring/Summer meet under @DavisJockey for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/lgv9nISi5z
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) April 30, 2026
1st-Belmont The Big A, $82,450, Msw, 4-30, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:35.34, my, 7 3/4 lengths.
DIRECTIVE (f, 3, Gun Runner–Antonoe {GISW-USA, GSW-Fr, $565,377}, by First Defence)
Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $62,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
