The Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational will be run Saturday as part of the Belmont at the Big A meeting. The Belmont Derby is the first race in the Turf Triple in New York for 3-year-olds that includes the Saratoga Derby (G1) and the Jockey Club Derby (G3).
A select field of five, which includes the top three finishers from the Pennine Ridge (G2), accepted the invitation to run in the 1 3/16-mile stakes race on the outer turf course at Aqueduct. The Belmont Derby originally was known as the Jamaica Stakes. The newly formed Turf Triple series began in 2019.
Here is a full-field analysis for the Belmont Derby with morning-line odds from the Horse Racing Nation staff. Scheduled as race 6 of 13, post time is set for 3:08 p.m. ET.
1. Legend of Time, 5-2. Sea The Stars – Charlie Appleby / William Buick – 7: 5-0-0 – $393,771. Legend of Time broke his maiden at first asking in England for Godolphin Stable and then was fifth in a Group 3 stakes race. He won three times at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai before joining the string of horses who were sent to race in America for Charlie Appleby. Legend of Time was fifth in the American Turf (G2) at Churchill Downs but then bounced back to a victory in the Pennine Ridge. Win contender.
2. White Palomino, 4-1. Kitten’s Joy – Chad Brown / Flavien Prat – 3: 1-1-1 – $103,575. White Palomino broke her maiden in her second try on a good turf course at Keeneland by two lengths against a full field. In May, he set the pace in the Pennine Ridge as part of the Belmont at the Big A meeting and missed the win by a head for Chad Brown. Use underneath.
3. Royal Majesty, 6-1. Frankel – Bill Mott / Junior Alvarado – 5: 2-0-1 – $114,199. Royal Majesty began his career as a 2-year-old in England and then moved to the barn of Bill Mott. He won his first start at Gulfstream Park on the grass with a late rally, beating a big field by a neck. Trying winners for the first time in the Colonel Liam, he was fifth. Royal Majesty moved to Keeneland and won an allowance by two lengths. In the Pennine Ridge, he rallied between horses to get third. Use underneath.
4. Trikari, 7-2. Oscar Performance – H. Graham Motion / John Velazquez – 6: 3-1-1 – $584,130. Trikari only once failed to finish in the top three, and that was in his debut last fall at Keeneland. He broke his maiden next time out at Gulfstream on its artificial surface. Trikari was second by a neck in an allowance on the grass and became a stakes winner at Turfway Park in the Rushaway. He ran twice on the turf, winning the American Turf and then was third by a neck in the Penn Mile (G3) at Penn National after a troubled trip from start to finish. Win contender.
5. Endlessly, 2-1. Oscar Performance – Michael McCarthy / Umberto Rispoli – 7: 5-0-0 – $707,200. Endlessly made his first three starts on the grass in California resulting in three victories. At Del Mar, he broke his maiden and won the Juvenile Turf (G3) going a mile and added the Zuma Beach (G3) at Santa Anita. In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, he did not show much while running eighth. This year, trainer Michael McCarthy moved him to synthetic racing on the Kentucky Derby trail and he responded with two more victories. The run for the roses was Endlessly’s only start on a dirt track, and he moved up from the back to finish ninth. Top choice.
Summary: Legend of Time and Endlessly are the likeliest of winners and come to the Belmont Derby with identical records of 7: 5-0-0.
Legend of Time won four times racing internationally, once in England and three times in Dubai. The Charlie Appleby runner needed a race to figure out racing in America as he moved from a troubled trip in the American Turf to a victory in the Pennine Ridge.
Endlessly won four times in California for Michael McCarthy, twice at Del Mar on the grass to begin his career and then in a Grade 3. He added another Grade 3 on the Santa Anita turf. As a 3-year-old, Endlessly won twice on the Kentucky Derby trail, leading to a ninth-place finish in America’s most famous race. He has been training at Santa Anita in anticipation of his return to turf. racing.
Endlessly is back to his preferred racing surface and gets the nod as the top choice in the Belmont Derby.