The final jewel of the TC, the $1,000 BEL, was run yesterday at BEL over a main track labeled as good after light rain earlier in the day. Despite seven scratches, a large field of eleven still went postward, including both winners of the two previous TC races, FUSION (Eastern Equine) and ROUND TRIP TICKET (skyhigh stables), to try their luck in the “Test of the Champions.†Round Trip Ticket was made the 2.90-to-1 post-time favorite, but could he repeat the come-from-behind effort that won him the PRK? There’s only one way to find out, let’s take a look at the race!
After being sent off, it was GHOST ZAP (Serenity Stables) who went out fastest, assuming command from the 8-hole. Behind that one was a line of five, TIMEPIECE (Serenity Stables), GREAT KALCULATION (Scott Stables), Fusion, GOTTA BOMB (TCB Stables) and PENAL COLONY (GlueFactory). Round Trip Ticket was in mid-pack, saving ground on the rail, while ACQUISITIONS (Fairy Tale Ranch) was out in the middle of the track. SET SAIL SINBAD (Power Racing) was also wide, with THE BIG LEBOWSKI (Unreal Racing) inside. The last of them all was the late-running CHIEN MING WANG (Australia Wide).
Going down the backstretch, the field started to spread out. Ghost Zap still had the lead, but J J Castellano (to his inside) on Great Kalculation put him fairly wide around the first turn and into the long backstretch. It was another three lengths back to Timepiece and Penal Colony, with Gotta Bomb and Fusion both a length behind them. It was another three back to Round Trip Ticket and Acquisitions, with Set Sail Sinbad, The Big Lebowski, and Chien Ming Wang all more than a dozen lengths behind after an opening half-mile that went in a modest :49.79.
The running order was largely unchanged after the next quarter-mile, with the first six furlongs clocked in 1:15.45. Ghost Zap and Great Kalculation were still setting the pace, but Timepiece was beginning to roll on the outside, as was Fusion. Penal Colony was game on the rail, with Gotta Bomb another three lengths back. It was another three back to Acquisitions and Round Trip Ticket, with Set Sail Sinbad, The Big Lebowski, and Chien Ming Wang still trailing the field as they approached the far turn.
With a half-mile left to go in the BEL, Ghost Zap started to falter, and both Great Kalculation and Timepiece had runs on him. Fusion had moved to fourth, three lengths behind the leaders, and Penal Colony, four lengths off, was also in with a fighting chance. It was now seven lengths back to the next steeds, Acquisitions and Gotta Bomb, with Round Trip Ticket falling back to join Set Sail Sinbad, The Big Lebowski, and Chien Ming Wang at the rear end of the field.
At the three-furlong mark, Timepiece had made the lead after a three-wide move left Great Kalculation and Ghost Zap in his rear-view mirror. Fusion was the next to rally, passing them both around the five-sixteenths pole. Penal Colony was next, and it was a long way back to Chien Ming Wang, who’d rallied from dead-last already, and the rest of the field.
Down the stretch they came after ten furlongs in 2:07.92, and it was Timepiece who led Fusion by three and a half lengths. Great Kalculation and Ghost Zap showed some resilience on the inside as Penal Colony came up to challenge for third, with Chien Ming Wang continuing his rally. By this time, it was obvious there would be no Prk-BEL double for the favorite, Round Trip Ticket, who was toiling at the back of the pack.
Coming into the final furlong, Timepiece, the two-year-old champion and post-time favorite five weeks ago at CD, led by four lengths over Fusion. Farther back, Great Kalkulation was third on the inside, with Penal Colony fourth, Ghost Zap fifth, and Chien Ming Wang an imminent threat to all three with a four-wide move.
Nearing the wire, Fusion tried hard to close the gap, but it was not to be, as Timepiece hit the line first by 3 ¾ lengths in 2:33.73. Fusion ran a good second, with Chien Ming Wang closing like a truck from last to complete the trifecta. Penal Colony got up for fourth over a game Great Kalculation. Completing the order of finish were Ghost Zap, The Big Lebowski, Set Sail Sinbad, Acquisitions, Round Trip Ticket, and Gotta Bomb.
ANALYSIS OF THE RACE: Timepiece ran improving races in all three steps of the TC. He ran fifth in the KY Derby, second in the Prk, and here, he showed patience down the backstretch before humming by the pacesetters around the far turn and holding off the KY Derby winner with relative ease in the final furlong. Fusion also ran well, breaking fifth and doing well to rally for second money after a disappointing effort in the Prk. Chein Ming Wang was visually impressive, closing like a freight train to hit the board after finishing in the middle of both the KY Derby and Prk packs. Penal Colony was fairly close-up throughout, and ran decently to be fourth. Great Kalculation ran a fine race after being near the pace early in this marathon, and might be a force at shorter distances down the road. Ghost Zap just couldn’t stay on after setting the early fractions. The Big Lebowski made a mild late run, passing tired ones. Set Sail Sinbad and Acquisitions never really fired. It’s hard to say what went wrong with Round Trip Ticket. He had a dream trip early and just couldn’t keep up. Gotta Bomb also broke in mid-pack and faded late.
Congratulations to Timepiece and Serenity Stables on winning the BEL, and thank you to all the horses and connections that made this year’s TC so memorable!
