Marconi the choice in Birdstone marathon

Marconi with jockey Jose Lezcano aboard captured the June 8 (G1) Brooklyn Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> If things had turned out differently in the Suburban Handicap (G2), Marconi might well be running in Saturday’s $1 million Whitney (G1) instead of in today’s $100,000 Birdstone Stakes. The 4-year-old Tapit colt had won three straight stakes, including the Brooklyn (G2), but failed to fire in last month’s Suburban, finishing a well-beaten seventh.

Despite that setback, Marconi is the morning-line favorite at 8-5 in the Birdstone. Although he has yet to try 1 ¾ miles, Marconi’s last two stakes victories were at 1 3/8 miles and a mileand-a-half, which indicates that he ought to be better able to handle the distance.

Rocketry is next at 9-5. The only horse in the field to have won a race at 1 ¾ miles (the G2 Marathon Stakes at the 2018 Breeders’ Cup) – or to have tried – the son of Hard Spun came within a half-length of catching Marconi in the Brooklyn. He was never involved in the Suburban, however, finishing eighth. Rocketry won a minor stakes at 1 5/8 miles at Belmont last September.

Curlin Road (10-1) won the 1½-mile Cougar II (G3) at Del Mar two summers ago, and then was thrown to the wolves in the Pacific Classic and Santa Anita Handicap. Things didn’t work out in those G1 events, or in the subsequent Californian (G2), and last November Curlin Road ran for a tag for the first time. The 6-year-old gelding is winless in five outings this year – he was claimed twice – but placed in four of them.

Patch (10-1) is another horse with G1 experience, having competed five times at that level over the past two years; his best finish was a distant third behind Tapwrit in the 2017 Belmont. The 5-year-old Union Rags horse won only one of six starts in 2018, and in his lone race in 2019 (a one-mile turf allowance) he was not a factor. One of his better races was a third last summer in the Alydar here at the Spa.

Royal Albert Hall (15-1) will be making his 45th start today. The 7-year-old gelding has some back class, having hit the board in a pair of G2s – in 2013. The British-bred son of Royal Applause has won only three of 44 starts but has placed in 20 others. His best race over the past two years was his victory in the 1 3/16-mile Bernardini Stakes at Aqueduct last March.

King Zachary (8-1) will attempt to right the ship after seven straight open-lengths losses since his victory in last year’s Matt Winn Stakes (G3) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. The lightly raced Third Day (8-1) won his first start of 2019 but has failed to factor in three starts since.