SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The photo-finish camera could barely separate Test Score and New Century at the end of the Grade 1 American Turf, and handicappers will find themselves in a similar position trying to select a winner when the pair meets again Friday at Saratoga in the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational.
Test Score and New Century finished best of all and just a nose apart while second and third, respectively, 1 1/4 lengths behind Zulu Kingdom, in the 1 1/16-mile American Turf at Churchill Downs two months earlier. Both figure to benefit from not only stretching out a bit farther in Friday’s rematch but also by ducking Zulu Kingdom, whose connections opted to bypass the nine-furlong Belmont Derby to compete instead one race earlier on the card in the one-mile Manila.
Test Score has been a model of consistency for trainer Graham Motion, having finished off the board but once in seven career starts. The lone glitch was a disappointing fifth-place finish here a year ago in the With Anticipation.
Test Score comes into the Belmont Derby off arguably the two best performances of his career, a victory in the Grade 3 Transylvania this spring at Keeneland and his second-place finish in the American Turf. He earned an 88 Beyer Speed Figure in both efforts.
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“I was hoping we wouldn’t have to run against Chad’s horse [Zulu Kingdom] and that worked out, although obviously this is a Grade 1 and still not an easy spot,” Motion said. “The extra distance shouldn’t be an issue. In fact, I think this is what he wants to do. At least I hope so. He’s run well every time except in the With Anticipation here last year. That one is still a complete head-scratcher.”
New Century finished strongly from near the rear of the field in the American Turf, lost a nose bob for second money, and then galloped out best of all. The outing was his first since returning to the United States and joining trainer Brendan Walsh’s barn following a fifth-place finish just 17 days earlier in the Group 3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket.
New Century raced twice in North America at 2, winning the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine before rallying belatedly to finish fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
“He only just got to me before his last start,” Walsh said. “And with those horses you either run them off the plane or give them time. We decided to run him off the plane at Churchill, and he ran great, finished up extremely well. We gave him a break after that, and he’s been working very consistently ever since.”
Like Test Score, New Century will be stretching out to nine furlongs for the first time in the Belmont Derby.
“He’s bred to go further, so if anything the extra distance should be a positive,” Walsh said. “He certainly wasn’t stopping the last eighth of a mile last time. But Test Score is a very nice horse too, and he’s probably still got room for improvement as well. I don’t imagine they should be too far away from each other again at the end of this one either.”
Although Test Score and New Century could vie for favoritism, there will be little margin for error in a well-matched and intriguing field of eight 3-year-olds that also includes Final Gambit, Tank, Early Adopter, Luther, World Beater, and Flying Mohawk.
Final Gambit figures to be well backed despite the fact he is the only member of the field who has never won on turf. He finished a late-running third in his only previous try over the surface at 2.
A late-running fourth behind division leaders Sovereignty and Journalism in the Kentucky Derby, Final Gambit’s only two victories have come over the synthetic track at Turfway Park. He is another late-running type whose chances could be compromised by the projected pace.
The pace advantage belongs to Florida invader Tank, who has won his last three starts, all stakes, including the English Channel and Not Surprising at Gulfstream Park. He figures to be loose on an easy lead with the key questions being his ability to handle the added distance along with the jump to the Grade 1 level.
Luther makes his U.S. bow after facing classic competition, the French Derby and 2000 Guineas, in his last two starts. He finished second, beaten a half-length by New Century, when the pair squared off at a mile as 2-year-olds early in their careers in Great Britain.
Flying Mohawk, idle since finishing a distant 18th in the Derby, adds blinkers and returns to grass for the first time since winning an allowance race at Fair Grounds in his 3-year-old debut.
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