Disco Partner Continues Dominance In $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint

ELMONT, NY – Patricia Generazio’s homebred Disco Partner continued his romping turf sprint season, easily overtaking the leaders in the stretch to take Saturday’s $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at Belmont Park.

Breaking cleanly from the outside post in the five-horse field, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., placed Disco Partner in a stalking position while Bold Thunder set early splits of :22.06 and :44.59. Exiting off of the turn, Disco Partner charged forward under light urging and swept past the leaders to the finish line.

“I knew he was going to be there when I asked him, so I just tried to wait as long as I can,” said Ortiz, Jr. “He’s a nice horse. He gives me a nice kick. I think he is one of the best sprinters around right now.”

Ready for Rye was up for second, 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner. Snowday and We Deer You were each a neck behind, with Bold Thunder completing the order of finish.

With the win, the 5-year-old son of Disco Rico increased his career earnings to $823,810 with a record of 20-9-4-2. Crossing the line in a final time of 1:06.97, he came within .10 of Gantry’s track record time for 6 furlongs over the inner turf. The Christophe Clement trainee currently holds the track record (1:05.67) for the same distance on Belmont’s Widener turf course.

“He’s 4-for-4 this year at Belmont, he’s a top-class horse,” Clement said. “He’s fast. Irad said he was always in control. He’s a fine horse. He loves Belmont, he loves training here. It was like a morning workout for him.”

Clement said that a decision to potentially run next in the $1 Million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Saturday, November 4, at Del Mar would be left up to the owners, as Disco Partner is not currently Breeders’ Cup nominated. If the owners choose to supplement his entry, he could possibly join his stablemate, Pure Sensation, who’s also owned by the same connections.

“I’m very lucky I have two top-class sprinters,” Clement said. “We won the race at Parx with Pure Sensation, and he (Disco Partner) wins here. (The owners) can make the decision on who goes to the Breeders’ Cup. It’s a great problem to have. If they want, I’ll take both of them. One has more natural speed (Pure Sensation), this one has the most amazing turn of foot. In three strides, he can just get there. Maybe it’s a good team to run together.”

Disco Partner returned $2.70 to win, $2.20 to place, and $2.10 to show. Ready for Rye brought back $5.20 to place and $3.10 to show, while Snowday paid $3.40 to show.

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