Za Approval regains winning thread in Real Courage

Za Approval led throughout to score his first win of the year (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography/Nicole Di Giovanni)

Live Oak Plantation’s homebred Za Approval
took the field gate-to-wire as the even-money favorite in Sunday’s $98,000
Real
Courage Stakes at Belmont.

“There are two ways to answer this,” said trainer
Christophe Clement, when asked if it was the plan to be on the lead. “One is for
me to look very smart and say ‘Of course, that was the plan.’ Two, which is the
truth, and to say, ‘That was not at all the plan.’ But that is why I use
(jockey) Joel (Rosario); he is a very good rider and can adapt to that kind of a
race.”

The six-year-old gelding was pressed by a pair of rivals near the top of
the stretch, but shook free with a furlong to go to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

“I was
surprised to find myself on the lead,” Rosario said. “I did not expect that, but
he was traveling well. Even when the other horses came to him (straightening for
home) he kept improving his position.”

The gray covered seven furlongs over the firm turf in 1:20 4/5.
The son of Ghostzapper was entering in here off a fifth-place finish in the
Nijinsky at Woodbine on July 19.

Toasting rallied in the Sky Beauty (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography/Chelsea Durand)

In the other stakes race on the Belmont card, West Point
Thoroughbreds’ Toasting came from last in the $98,000
Sky
Beauty. The four-year-old filly angled
four wide into the stretch, rallied to take the lead with a furlong out and
edged clear in the end by 1 1/2 lengths.

“The race set up very well for her,”
jockey Javier Castellano said. “It was a small field, and the two favorites
(Montana Native and Katie’s Garden) had
similar running styles. I was able to sit off the speed, which is the way she
likes to run, and when I asked her, she responded. I like the way she did it
today.”

The Tom Albertrani pupil crossed the wire in 1:34 2/5 for the one-mile
test over the fast main track. Sent off as the 3-1 third choice, she returned
$8.10 for her second career stakes score.

“I think she prefers the one-turn
races,” Albertrani said. “We’ve been experimenting with her; she won both her
races at seven-eighths in the past year, but she can go longer. The plan was to
take her back off the speed and I think she does better that way. She does well
with this group, but hopefully we can knock one out in a graded stakes with
her.”

Toasting was exiting a runner-up finish in the Seaway at
Woodbine last month. The chestnut has a career mark of 21-5-3-5, $534,135.