Whether on the football field or the racetrack, Belichick so often finds a way to win.
This time it was the 3-year-old Lemon Drop Kid colt Belichick that was victorious, not the famous New England Patriots coach for whom he is named, taking the CA$401,200 (US$305,667) Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine. The Josie Carroll trainee captured the third leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown by four lengths, leaving 10 foes behind, including stablemate Mighty Heart, who was denied in his bid to sweep the series for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.
At 1 1/2 miles on turf, the Breeders' is the longest of the Canadian Triple Crown races, and the stamina test favored Belichick while compromising Mighty Heart, the winner of the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes, the series' first two legs. The winner settled kindly early as a keen Mighty Heart pulled his jockey, Daisuke Fukumoto, to the lead.
Mighty Heart engaged in a speed duel with 101-1 outsider Kunal, and after splits of :47.45, 1:13.02, and 1:40.71 on good turf, he began to grow weary.
"Unfortunately, another horse dogged him the whole way, and (Fukumoto) couldn't get the horse to come off the bridle and relax," Carroll said of favored Mighty Heart.
NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods' Belichick, bred in Ontario by Sean Fitzhenry, was conversely picking up momentum with a sweeping second-turn rally from midpack after falling as far as 11 lengths off the pace. He took command easily coming into the long Woodbine stretch and was never threatened thereafter under Luis Contreras. He was timed in 2:32.51, paying $8.70 as the third betting choice.
Contreras said he could sense a fast pace and didn't force his mount, who will not often change leads like other horses do, even early during a race.
"I just let him be happy, wherever he wants to be," he said.
The victory meant no Canadian Triple Crown for Mighty Heart, though Carroll managed to win all three in the same year between the stablemates.
Saturday's victory was the second Breeders' for Carroll, who teamed with Contreras to win it in 2015 with Ami's Holiday. Contreras also won in 2011 aboard Pender Harbour for trainer Michael DePaulo.
Meyer was second, followed by English Conqueror in third and Deviant in fourth. Mighty Heart faded to seventh, beaten more than 20 lengths, after being bumped down the stretch. His early rival, Kunal, fared worst, weakening to last.
A $300,000 purchase by Solis/Litt Bloodstock at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Belichick is out of the Montjeu mare Game and is her third stakes winner. Belichick's first stakes-winning sibling, Broken Game, was a stakes winner in Peru, and the other, Season Ticket, a full sister, captured the Wonder Where Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Woodbine in 2015.
Belichick relished even more distance Saturday, recording his first victory in four starts. He was second to Mighty Heart in the Queen's Plate and second and third in a pair of maiden races. Carroll said Belichick has matured and become more laid-back.
"Today when I was back at the barn, he was sleeping all day. He was stretched right out in the stall, just crashed, you know," she said. "The nerves are all gone. He's just turned into a real professional."
