4th-Belmont, $75,000, Msw, 9-29, 2yo, 7f, 1:22.22, ft.
U S NAVY CROSS (c, 2, Curlin">Curlin–Honor Bestowed, by Honor Grades), backed all the way down to even-money off a fairly unassuming worktab on paper, showed what all the buzz was about with an impressive late run to win on debut. The $550,000 KEESEP yearling fell far back in the early going as Till Then (Point of Entry) carved out swift, pressured splits of :22.40 and :45.36. Firery Tale (Tale of the Cat) caught the eye as he revved up in behind the pacesetter heading for home, and U S Navy Cross was starting to come alive himself from further back. Till Then quickly shrugged off the challenge of the former, but U S Navy cross tipped out and kept coming, wearing down his foe by 1 1/4 lengths. Firery Tale finished another 5 3/4 lengths back in third. The winner is a half to Recepta (Speightstown), GSW & MGISP, $696,700; Taqarub (Aldebaran), GSW, $256,962; Defiant Honor (Speightstown), SW & GSP, $180,181; a yearling colt by Speightstown who RNA'd for $190,000 recently at Keeneland September; and a Dialed In colt foaled Apr. 3. His dam, a half to champion grass mare Soaring Softly (Kris S.) and GISW Plenty of Grace (Roberto), was bred back to Quality Road. Click for the Equibase.com chart or s21 VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $41,250.
O-Allen Stable, Inc. & Peter Brant; B-John W. Phillips, Phillips Racing Partnership, Hank & Lynn Snowden (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.[bullet ad=”darbydan-shell”]
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