Kim and John Glenney’s homebred ORTHODOX (Pulpit) had been thrashed in his
The race was marred by a fatal injury to 2-1 favorite Stormalory (Storm Cat),
In the early going, Turfiste (Military) went straight to the front and
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In the stretch, Orthodox took command from the pacesetter, and that proved to
be the decisive move. Battle of Hastings began to gain ground and emerged as a
threat, but he had too much to do, and his rally was not enough to prevent the
stunning result. Keeping on determinedly, Orthodox made the most of his
tactically advantageous position and rewarded his loyalists with mutuels of
$93.20, $32.80 and $14.20.
“He was one of our (Kentucky) Derby (G1) horses we were hoping to get here
all spring, but he takes to the grass so well that races like this suit him best
of all,” said Court, whose partnership with Orthodox was mentioned on the Animal
Planet program Jockeys. “I won on him in California (in a maiden at the
Oak Tree meeting) and now here in Kentucky. John just told me that if I had
ridden this horse in his last two starts, we would have been racing in the big
one tomorrow.
“I was a little worried today that he would try to do too much early,” Court
said. “But he settled nicely, two or three lengths behind at one point, I just
let him pick it up on his own and engage the pacesetter on his own doing. I just
let him run the way he wanted to and didn’t rush him.”
“He usually likes to be on the front end by himself, the lone speed,” the
trainer and co-owner said. “But in the paddock, Jon and I agreed that he didn’t
need the lead. I had a lot of confidence in him today because Jon was back
aboard in a grass race. Jon got him to relax behind the speed horse, and he was
running really well the whole way. He usually doesn’t like to pass horses, but
this time, the leader was backing up a bit and he inherited the lead. He knew
what to do from there. The rider change to Jon in a turf race made the
difference today.”
Battle of Hastings returned $4.60 and $3.60 while ending the $658 exacta.
Turfiste crossed the wire another 1 3/4 lengths back in third, yielding $7.40 at
18-1. The trifecta was worth $7,723.40, and with the 14-1 Bruce N Autumn (Lemon
Drop Kid) getting up for fourth, the 9-3-7-4 superfecta totaled $58,519.80. Jack
Spratt (Candy Ride [Arg]) came next and was followed by Bittel Road (Stormy
Atlantic) and Bunker Hill (Trippi), who hopped in the air at the start and wound
up a tailed-off last. Pointing Home (Point Given) was scratched.
Orthodox improved his record to 9-3-0-1, $179,842. Successful when making his
turf debut in his fourth start as a juvenile, he set a fast pace and faded to
seventh next time out in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Orthodox opened his
three-year-old campaign with a front-running victory in a Fair Grounds turf
allowance. Switching to Polytrack for the Lane’s End S. (G2), he again led the
way early, but retreated to finish 11th. Orthodox reverted to turf for the
Transylvania S. (G3) at Keeneland last out, where he pressed the pace before
dropping out of contention and checking in last of eight.
The Kentucky-bred is out of Grade 3 heroine Dominique’s Joy (Strawberry Road
[Aus]), whose youngest foal is an unnamed juvenile filly by Afleet Alex. This is
the family of Grade 2 victor Sea of Secrets (Storm Cat) and $1.9 million earner
Society Selection (Coronado’s Quest), queen of the Frizette S. (G1), Test S.
(G1) and Alabama S. (G1).