King Zachary breaks 91-yearold track mark in Birdstone
By Jeff Scott kept closer company as the field passed under the wire for the first time and then headed around again.
King Zachary (8-1), never far back, started moving up on the third turn, collaring Marconi just past the quarter-pole as the two swung into the stretch ahead by several lengths. Marconi resisted for some strides, but King Zachary drew off inside the 3/16ths pole, increasing his lead to 3½ lengths at the eighth pole and then to 8½ as the son of Curlin passed under the wire for the second and final time.
The running time over a “fast” main track was a track-record 2 minutes, 52.97 seconds. The previous mark of 2:55 flat was set 91 years ago by Reigh Count, an eventual Hall of Famer who won the Kentucky Derby that same year.
“I knew there was talent there,” said winning trainer Graham Motion, “and I said to [winning jockey] Johnny [Velazquez] in the paddock, ‘If this isn’t what he wants to do, I don’t know.’ He acted to me like he wants to go all day. You don’t get many opportunities to run at distances like this.
“[Breaking] a track record from 1928, even though they don’t write this race very often, it’s certainly impressive,” Motion continued. “When you’ve got Johnny riding, you have to feel comfortable because he knows where to put them, especially in these longer races.”
Marconi held second by 1 ¾ lengths over Rocketry, who had almost 20 lengths on fourth-place Patch. Curlin Road, Third Day and Royal Albert Hall followed in the strung-out field.
“Last out, we tried him on the grass, and he didn’t seem to like it very much,” said Velazquez, who was aboard King Zachary for the third time. “We’ve always known he had talent, and thought that maybe going longer, he’d get better. And that’s what he showed today.”
Thursday’s victory was the first for King Zachary since his score in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) in June of last year. The chestnut colt, who races for Thomas F. Conway, boosted his record to 4-0-3 in 13 starts and has now earned $366,120.