SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2016 FROSTED >MILES= THE BEST IN THE MET CREATOR COOKS UP There have been some tremendous performances by some BELMONT UPSET legendary horses in the vaunted 125-year history of the GI Metropolitan H. Names like Kelso, Carry Back, Forego, Conquistador Cielo have won the race--the latter en route to a victory in the GI Belmont S. More recently, the Met had been annexed by the likes of Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, Palace Malice--victorious in the Belmont 12 months prior--and champion Honor Code. But no horse had Frosted | Adam Coglianese done what Godolphin=s Frosted (Tapit) accomplished Saturday, as he took command of the Met two furlongs from home and sprinted away to take it by a whopping 14 1/4-length margin in stakes-record time. Cont. p7 IN TDN EUROPE TODAY Creator (left) proves narrowly best in Belmont 148 | Adam Coglianese CLASSIC CONNECTION CONTINUES FOR LAEL by Alan Carasso Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stable is well familiar with big-race success, and its recent European acquisitions could Just hours prior to Wednesday=s draw for the 148th continue that trend. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN GI Belmont S., celebrity chef Bobby Flay acquired a minority Europe. interest in WinStar Farm=s GI Arkansas Derby hero Creator, hoping to enjoy some Athrilling moments@ with the son of leading sire Tapit out of two-time Peruvian champion Morena (Per) (Privately Held). Suffice to say that it was mission accomplished for Flay and his WinStar partners Saturday afternoon, as Irad Ortiz, Jr. shoved the gray colt across the line to best a hard-luck Destin (Giant=s Causeway) by a nose to complete a memorable afternoon for Tapit, who also supplied the third-placed Lani as well as the ultra-impressive GI Metropolitan H. winner Frosted. AThe truth was that I had planned to bring about 15 to 20 people to the Belmont Stakes, which I do every year, and I had a horse named America (A.P. Indy), a filly, who was going to run in the [GI] Ogden Phipps [S.], but I retired her just last month. So I really had nothing to run,@ Flay said in the post-race news conference. ASo I wanted to make sure my guests had a very enjoyable experience. I wanted to purchase a horse to run, not necessarily in the Belmont S.--and there were a couple of other horses that we were looking at. Having a chance to be involved with a horse like that, with a farm like that, and the people that are involved in it, just it was a no brainer for me.@ Cont. p3 CREATOR WON Belmont Stakes (G1) Owned by WinStar Farm & Bobby Flay by More Than Ready WinStarFarm.com | (859) 873-1717 EAGLE WAY WON Queensland Derby (G1) in Australia Owner: J.G. Moore | Breeder: Segenhoe Thoroughbreds TOM’S READY by More Than Ready WON Woody Stephens (G2) Owner: G M B Racing | Breeder: Blackstone Farm LLC CASH CONTROL by Pioneerof the Nile WON Old Forester Mint Julep H. (G3) Owner: Bertram R. Klein Breeder: Bert, Elaine & Richard Klein JOKING by Distorted Humor WON True North S. (G2) Owner: Charlton Baker | Breeder: Darley ‘‘ THE NEW YORK TIMES Creator wins the Belmont Gainesway Farm 859.293.2676 / Michael Hernon 859.621.6295 Ian Tapp 678.429.2755 / Neil Howard 859.621.6273 Brian Graves 859.621.6270 LGB, LLC 2016 / Photo: Chelsea Durand ‘‘ PAULICK REPORT Frosted returns to annihilate competition in Met Mile Gainesway Farm 859.293.2676 / Michael Hernon 859.621.6295 Ian Tapp 678.429.2755 / Neil Howard 859.621.6273 Brian Graves 859.621.6270 LGB, LLC 2016 / Photo: Horsephotos Sharp New Stakes Winner for the Leading Turf Sire in America Coming off a maiden victory, Sharp Kitty, bred by Blue Devil Racing LLC and owned by Hardacre Farm LLC, made her stakes debut a winning one in the Christmas Past Stakes at Gulfstream. The $340,000 FTSAUG yearling purchase, sent off at 9-to-5, grabbed the lead entering the far turn and drew off with authority to win by 3 1/4 lengths on the wire. 2016 Stud Fee: $100,000 S&N 6915 Harrodsburg Road | Nicholasville, KY 40356 LGB, LLC 2016 / Photo: Lauren King (859) 887-3200 | Fax: (859) 885-2666 | www.ramseyfarm.com PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER Barry Weisbord @barryweisbord [email protected] SR. V.P. & CO-PUBLISHER Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] Sunday, June 12, 2016 EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN Associate Editor Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Assistant Editors Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Ben Massam @BMassamTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Kusch Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistants Irad Ortiz Jr. is all smiles after his winning ride aboard Creator (Tapit) in the Brittlan Wall @bwallTDN GI Belmont Stakes. Coverage continues on page 3. | Horsephotos August Pons @APonsTDN Alexa Reisfield Photo Editor/Dir. of Distribution FLINTSHIRE ADDS SECOND U.S. GRADE I TO RESUME 8 Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew Juddmonte Farms homebred Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}) [email protected] captured his second U.S. win at the highest level with a rallying score in the GI Woodford Reserve Manhattan S. at Social Media Strategist Belmont Park Saturday. Nichola Henry @NicholaHenryTDN [email protected] Director of Customer Service CAVORTING MUCH THE BEST IN OGDEN PHIPPS 9 Vicki Forbes ‘TDN Rising Star’ Cavorting (Bernardini) made it two wins in a [email protected] row with a 2 1/2-length score in the GI Ogden Phipps S. on the Director of Information Technology GI Belmont S. undercard for Stonestreet Stables and trainer Ray Villa Kiaran McLaughlin. [email protected] TODAY’S GRADED STAKES WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor EDT Race Click for TV Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN 10:50a Diana-Trial-G2, HOP ---------------- ----- [email protected] 10:55a Coral.ie Munster Oaks S.-G3, COR ---------------- ----- European Editor Emma Berry [email protected] Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 16 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • JUNE 12, 2016 FEATURE PRESENTATION • GI BELMONT S. Allowed to take his chance in the GII Rebel S. Mar. 19, Creator trailed by as many as 15 lengths and was still 10th nearing the final quarter mile, but rallied past seven of those rivals to complete a Tapit 1-3, three lengths behind Cupid. With his form on an upswing entering the Apr. 16 GI Arkansas Derby, he found himself a distant last, but this time his stretch rally carried him to a 1 1/4-length defeat of fellow back marker Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft). Never in contention last time in the GI Kentucky Derby, Creator was beaten better than A >Brilliant= Mating... 18 lengths in 13th at odds of 16-1 and offered those who still Bred and sold by Greg Goodman=s Mt Brilliant Broodmares believed a similar quote Saturday. LLC, Creator was purchased by Maverick Racing for $440,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September sale and was turned over to >Creating= His Own Luck... trainer Steve Asmussen, who tried the colt on the turf in his first Gettysburg (Pioneerof the Nile), recently transferred from two career starts, good for a debut second at Churchill Sept. 19 Todd Pletcher to Steve Asmussen and a horse many believed followed by a fifth at Keeneland Oct. 21. Switched to the dirt, was in the race with the express intent of setting things up for Creator was runner-up in a sloppy Churchill maiden Nov. 28 on his new stablemate, soon found his way to the front beneath the >Stars of Tomorrow II= program, then filled the same spot at Paco Lopez, but Destin and Javier Castellano were intent on the Fair Grounds Dec. 31 and Feb. 12 before bursting through keeping in close contact with that one, while the latter=s with a 7 1/4-length graduation at Oaklawn 15 days later. stablemate Stradivari (Medaglia d=Oro) was forwardly placed to his outside. The well-backed Suddenbreakingnews raced as the meat of the sandwich between >TDN Rising Star= Cherry Wine (Paddy O=Prado) and favored Exaggerator (Curlin), while further towards the back of the field, Irad Ortiz, Jr. had managed to get the outposted Creator down into the two path prior to the entrance to the first of Belmont=s two sweeping turns. Gettysburg remained the boss as the field turned up the backstretch, and the first decisive move of the race came from Kent Desormeaux, who guided the GI Preakness S. winner into the four path and out of harm=s way as Creator inched his way up into about midfield to the inside of Suddenbreakingnews with just under a mile to travel. Glued to the fence throughout, Creator continued to creep forward as Gettysburg and Destin continued to eyeball one another, with Stradivari still in close attendance and GII Peter Pan S. runner-up Governor Malibu The field of 13 is sent on their way in Saturday=s Belmont S. (Malibu Moon) an increasing threat while also saving ground. Adam Coglianese Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 16 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • JUNE 12, 2016 Belmont 148 cont. Gettysburg carried the Belmont field into the stretch, but Destin had that move covered and struck to the front a furlong and a half from the line.