Tonalist stars in accident-marred Jockey Club Gold Cup

Tonalist established himself as a major contender in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (Adam Coglianese Photo) Robert S. Evans’ Tonalist regained some lost luster with a smart performance in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, rallying from well off the pace to score by 1 3/4 lengths. The Christophe Clement-trained colt put himself back into the picture for champion three-year-old honors while earning an expense-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on November 1, where he can make a convincing case for the Eclipse Award with a win. The son of Tapit was making his first start against elders in the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup. “I thought I would be laying third or fourth, but he didn’t break that quick,” jockey Joel Rosario said. “He didn’t get out very quick, but I just let him run on his own. I was probably a little far back but I wasn’t worried about it; I didn’t want to make him do something he didn’t want to do.” Tonalist raced near the back of the 11-horse field behind opening splits of :23 3/5 and :47 2/5.

“I could see turning for home they were coming back to me and he found a way
through. I’m happy we got the money. He’s a one-paced horse, and when he starts
going, he goes forever. I was really happy with the trip.”

Rosario was forced to alter course during the stretch drive to avoid trouble,
but rival Wicked Strong wasn’t as fortunate, dislodging jockey Rajiv Maragh
leaving the backstretch at
Belmont Park after clipping heels and stumbling. The steward ruled that
Moreno caused the incident and disqualified him from fourth to ninth.

“When I passed the half-mile, and the (jockey) fell in front of me, it scared
me a little bit and I was just trying to get out of the way,” Rosario said.
“After that I tried to save ground. I was hoping to go through on the inside,
but (the opening) closed up and I had to go around.”

“A great ride,” said Clement, who removed blinkers from Tonalist on Saturday.
“Joel is just so laid back. He was always in his space, always in his stride. (Tonalist)
doesn’t need the blinkers anymore. I should have realized before that he was
more mature.”

Tonalist has recorded all three of his stakes wins at Belmont Park (David Alcosser/Adam Coglianese Photography) Tonalist came down with a lung infection this spring, forcing him to miss the Wood Memorial and Kentucky Derby, and came back from a freshening to easily capture his stakes debut, the May 10 Peter Pan at Belmont Park. He followed with an outstanding tally in the final leg of the Triple Crown, recording a head decision in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes, but then suffered a pair of setbacks at Saratoga, finishing second to Wicked Strong in the Jim Dandy before a non-threatening third in the Travers. He raced close to the pace in all those starts with blinkers. “I probably should have removed the blinkers before the Travers,” Clement said. “He, obviously, was a bit too aggressive in the Travers. Even so, he didn’t quit. I love the way that, even when he got beat in the Travers he went on to the wire.” “He relaxed very nicely (without the headgear),” Rosario added.

Moreno sprinted to the fore at the break but conceded the early advantage to
Big Casanova, who showed the way on a short lead down the long Belmont
backstretch. Tonalist was still ninth, 10 lengths back of the pacesetter, after
six furlongs in 1:11. The fallen jockey (Maragh) and loose horse (Wicked Strong)
forced a number of riders to steady or change direction to avoid trouble.

Long River was tracking the early leader in third and took a short lead on
the far turn and into the stretch drive, with Moreno to his inside. Tonalist
rapidly accelerated into contention on the far turn, closing boldly along the
inside as he turned for home, but a seam along the rail closed. Rosario was
forced to check momentarily, guiding his mount out a couple of paths out, and
Tonalist quickly regained his momentum, splitting Zivo and Long River to strike
the front inside the the final furlong.

He won going away in strong fashion, finishing the 10-furlong distance in
2:02 over the fast track.

“They went 47 and change. They went fast enough that I knew they’d come back
a little bit,” Clement said. “From the three-eighths on, he looked really good.
He was closer and closer, and you could see the horse was going really well.”

Tonalist left the starting gate as a slight 3-1 favorite, with Wicked Strong
as the 3-1 second choice, and paid $8.10 for the win.

Tonalist and Zivo could meet again at Santa Anita (Chelsea Durand/Adam Coglianese Photography) Zivo, the 4-1 third choice, was forced to check hard in the midst of his rally on the far turn due to the loose horse. He re-rallied to take a short lead in upper stretch, closing stoutly on the far outside, before being dispatched by the winner, and wound up two lengths better than 52-1 longshot Long River in third. “There was so much going on with the loose horse,” said Chad Brown, trainer of runner-up Zivo. “I thought my horse was eliminated at that point (when the jockey fell), and then when he comes with a second run after really just taking up down the backside. “I’d love to take him out to the (Breeders’ Cup) Classic. I think he fits. I have to speak to the owner Tom Coleman about it, but I didn’t see anything that would deter him from going there. I feel like we have one of the better older handicap horses going a mile-and-a quarter on the dirt in the country. As long as he is healthy and doing well and Mr. Coleman wants to go, I’d prepare the horse to do so. I thought he ran terrific.” “I can’t believe I ran second,” Jose Lezcano said. “I had to completely stop at the three-eighths pole, and he still came back and finished second. It was a very good effort for (Zivo).”

It was another 3 1/4-length margin back to Moreno at the wire. Stephanoatsee
was elevated to fourth via disqualification, and the official order of finish
was completed by V.E. Day, Last Gunfighter, Big Casanova, Speak Logistics and
Moreno. Micromanage was eased and Prayer for Relief was scratched in the
paddock.

Maragh, who won the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic aboard Main Sequence in
the race before the Gold Cup, was reported to have sustained a broken arm after
being unseated.

Tonalist opened his career last November at Aqueduct, running fourth in a
one-mile maiden special weight on the main track. He returned to action two
months later for his three-year-old bow in a maiden contest at Gulfstream Park,
triumphing that day by four lengths while stretching out to nine furlongs. The
bay faced winners for the first time on February 22 at Gulfstream, including
impressive maiden debut scorer and eventual Florida Derby victor Constitution.
Tonalist gave it his best but just could not run down that rival while going 1
1/16 miles.

Bred in Kentucky by Woodslane Farm, the bay colt RNAed for $195,000 at the
Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings sale before being privately purchased
by Evans.

Tonalist is out of the winning Pleasant Colony mare Settling Mist, making his
second dam the stakes-winning Toll Fee. That one’s descendants include Horse of
the Year Havre de Grace, multiple Grade 1 queen Riskaverse, and Grade 3 scorers
Cozzy Corner and Bouquet Booth.

Tonalist’s third dam is Broodmare of the Year Toll Booth, a half-sister to
leading sire Raja Baba whose offspring include champion sprinter Plugged Nickle,
Grade 1 winner Christiecat and Grade 3 heroine Key to the Bridge.

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