Right One earned his first graded stakes victory
and third win from four starts in the United States with a late-running score
in the Grade 3, $100,000 Jaipur on Saturday at Belmont Park.
Sixth of seven behind Yield Bogey’s tepid fractions of 23.74 and
46.66, Right One was angled to the grandstand side at the top of the stretch
and reeled in the stubborn pacesetter to get up by a head in the shadow of the
wire.
It was the fourth winner on the card for jockey Javier Castellano, who
will enter the final day of the Belmont spring/summer meet two wins behind leading
rider Ramon Dominguez, second in Saturday’s Grade 2 Delaware Handicap at
Delaware Park aboard Havre de Grace.
Right One, a two-time handicap winner in his native France, improved his overall record
to 5-4-3 from 20 starts, completed seven furlongs on the Widener turf course in
1:21.87, and returned $5.40 for a $2 win wager as the 8-5 favorite. The $60,000
winner’s share of the Jaipur purse lifted his career earnings to
$248,974.
Owned by Ghislaine Head, Right One was previously trained in his native
France
by Ghislaine’s daughter, Christiane “Criquette” Head-Maarek,
and is now under the tutelage of Christophe Clement. The 5-year-old entered the
Jaipur off an optional claiming victory at Gulfstream
Park in April, a triumph in the Island
Sun overnight stakes at Belmont in May, and a
third in Belmont’s
Grade 3 Poker on June 10.
“He came to me this winter; he was trained by a very good friend
of mine, Criquette Head, and belongs to her mother, Ghislane Head,” said
Clement. “I worked for the Heads; I am very close with them and I am
delighted to be able to win a Grade 3 for them. He’s never run a bad race
since he came to the states. The pace was against us but you cannot change a
horse’s style. Perhaps we’ll put him away and wait for the
fall.”
Right One, a gelded son of Anabaa, was bred by Ghislaine Head and her
late husband, Alec.
Evolutionist finished third, and he was followed home by Radiohead,
Gantry, Targhee Pass, and Clement’s other Jaipur
starter, Nordic Truce. D’ Funnybone and Spa City Fever, entered for the
main track only, were scratched.
Earlier in the card, Castellano stalked the pace in race 2 aboard
Sarafina ($4.90) and spurted clear in the stretch to win the turf claiming
event by 2 ¼ lengths. The rider went on to complete a sweep of the Pick 3 ($65)
on races 2-3-4, piloting Delastmanstanding ($12) to a head victory in the third
and Callmetony ($4.40) to a one-length score in the fourth.