Elisabeth Alexander’s MAGNA GRADUATE (Honor Grades) made a late outside run
to come away victorious in Saturday’s $287,250
Discovery H. (G3) at Belmont
Park. Dropped to midpack by jockey John Velazquez, the three-year-old dark bay
sat chilly as 3-2 favorite Scrappy T (Fit to Fight) opened the 1 1/16-mile event
in splits of :23 1/5, :46 4/5, 1:10 3/5 and 1:35, but could not hold on as Magna
Graduate came on strong to win by three parts of a length.
The Todd Pletcher trainee returned $13, $5 and $3.50 for his efforts with
Scrappy T paying $3.40 and $2.60. Buzzard’s Bay (Marco Bay) finished well on the
outside another 2 3/4 lengths back for the show to give $5.10. Exotics paid
$34.20 (exacta), $236 (trifecta) and $1,448 (6-9-5-3 superfecta). Andromeda’s
Hero (Fusaichi Pegasus), Watchmon (Maria’s Mon), Freedom Isnt Free (Fly So
Free), War Front (Danzig), Tani Maru (Cherokee Run), Quadrant (Boundary),
Scipion (A.P. Indy) and Spanish Mission (Coronado’s Quest) rounded out the order
of finish.
Bred in Kentucky by Nicole Zitani and Ramon Rangel, Magna Graduate is out
of the unnraced mare Peacock Alley (Fast Play), who has also produced a yearling
colt by Brahms and a weanling filly by Holy Bull. Magna Graduate improves his
line to 14-5-3-3 with this victory, having already scored in the Pegasus S. (G3)
last out, and increases his earnings to $791,432.