OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Michael Campbell told anybody who would listen that Patriot Spirit was going to run a big race in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Vosburgh Stakes at Aqueduct.
Apparently, a lot of people listened.
Patriot Spirit, sent off as the 5-2 second choice in a field of nine - he was 5-1 on the morning-line - took over from the pacesetting Light the Way in upper stretch and held the late-running Crazy Mason at bay to win the Vosburgh by 1 1/2 lengths and earn his way to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1. The Vosburgh was part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series that awarded an automatic fees-paid berth into the Sprint.
“I expected the effort,” said the 75-year-old Campbell, who said he’s been training horses since 1972. “I don’t want to sound pompous because I know it’s difficult to win a horse race – there’s nothing more difficult. On this occasion, in this spot, with this horse and being that right, I didn’t think he could get beat.”
It was Patriot Spirit’s four-length victory in the Reigh Count Stakes at Colonial Downs on July 26 that fueled his confidence. Patriot Spirit had won the Inaugural Stakes and Illinois Derby as a 3-year-old, but it was the last race where Campbell saw a different horse.
“When you’ve been around the game as long as I’ve been, what happens is you recognize those watershed moments in a horse’s career: 'this guy is finally turning the corner,’ “ said Campbell, who maintains a 10-horse stable. “He’s won six out of 15 starts, but it was that race that triggered something in him and triggered something in me to come here with confidence.”
There were no superstars in the Vosburgh. Scotland, runner-up in the Grade 1 Forego, was made the favorite. Crazy Mason, the Grade 2 Carter winner, was the 3-1 third choice. But Patriot Spirit had more early speed than they did in a race that didn’t appear to have much speed at all.
Jockey Javier Castellano had Patriot Spirit within a head of Light the Way through a quarter in 22.76 seconds. There was no half-mile time posted due to a timing issue, per the Equibase chart.
Patriot Spirit got first run on the closers and was never seriously challenged in the stretch. Crazy Mason rallied up the fence under Manny Franco to get second by a half-length over Scotland. Doc Sullivan was fourth, followed by Light the Way, Nash, The Golden Gorilla and Baby Yoda.
“Really fast,” said Castellano, who was riding Patriot Spirit for the first time. “I spoke to the trainer this morning and he said, ‘he’s really fast out of the gate, if you've got the speed, it’s OK, don’t get panicked. Just save something for the end.’ That’s what I did.”
Patriot Spirit, a son of Constitution owned by George Mellon, covered seven furlongs in 1:21.84 (96 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $7.22 to win.
Patriot Spirit, who has been based at Colonial Downs all summer, will ship to Keeneland to prepare for the Breeders’ Cup. Campbell has had one other Breeders’ Cup starter, Private Prospect, who finished ninth in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. That horse was ridden by his son Jesse.
“That was very exciting, this will be very exciting, too,” Campbell said.
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