Patternrecognition Dismisses All Comers in G2 Kelso

ELMONT PARK, NY – Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s Patternrecognition was met with several challenges but dismissed them all en route to wiring Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park.

Breaking well from post 6 under Tyler Gaffalione at odds of 5/1, Patternrecognition quickly established control and crossed over toward the inside, then posted opening fractions of :23.77, :46.83, and 1:10.32 while No Dozing gave chase along his right hip. Straightening for home still running strongly along the rail, Patternrecognition shook off No Dozing and attempted to clear off from the five-wide wall of foes runing just behind him. Sunny Ridge emerged from that group first and made a solid bid, but the Chad Brown trainee dug in gamely and held him off before crossing with a length advantage in a final time of 1:34.16 for the mile-long event over the fast main track.

“I have to give credit to Chad and his team,” Gaffalione said. “They did a great job with him. You can see from his past races, he’s always been a fighter. He was in a good rhythm on the turn for home and those horses didn’t really come to him. When I asked him for run, he definitely responded. He likes a challenge, and you can see that in his most recent race at Saratoga.”

Timeline, appeared poised to challenge his winning stablemate after exiting the far turn along the inside, but he flattened out in the stretch run and could only take third, a 1/2-length behind Sunny Ridge. No Dozing faded late to finish fourth by a head over the even-money favorite Battle of Midway, while Still Having Fun and Realm never factored into the race and completed the order of finish.

Patternrecognition’s win came in his stakes debut and followed an allowance victory at 7 furlongs over the Saratoga main track on August 11. The lightly-raced 5-year-old son of Adios Charlie now holds a record of 10-4-5-0 with earnings of $379,200.

Patternrecognition returned $13.20 to win, $6 to place, and $5.20 to show. Sunny Ridge brought back $5.90 to place and $3.90 to show, while Timeline paid $6 to show.