Joseph J. Balsamo and Ted Theos’ SWEETNORTHERNSAINT (Sweetsouthernsaint)
turned in a tour de force performance in Saturday’s $500,000
Illinois Derby (G2) at Hawthorne, opening up in the stretch to score by 9
1/4 lengths. The Michael Trombetta trainee stopped the teletimer in 1:49 4/5 for
the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track, and with this dominating victory, has emerged
as one of the major contenders for the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Breaking from the far outside in post 10, jockey Kent Desormeaux and
Sweetnorthernsaint easily cleared most of the field and dropped over to a more
favorable path while tracking just to the outside of pacesetting Mister Triester
(Old Trieste). As Sweetnorthernsaint was content to lope along a length back in
second, Mister Triester carved out splits of :23 2/5 and :48. Desormeaux then
gave the cue to go after the leader, and the dark bay drew to within a
half-length as the top pair passed three-quarters in 1:13. The leading two
matched strides for a time, but once getting into the stretch,
Sweetnorthernsaint stamped his authority on the race and drew ever farther away
from the field.
“This horse improved leaps and bounds since the last time I rode him (in the
March 18 Gotham S. [G3]),” Desormeaux said. “Michael (Trombetta) said don’t give
up on him. He’s really a great horse, and he strutted that stuff today.
“With today’s situation,” Desormeaux continued, “his tactical speed and the
outside post, now I became the boss of the field and controlled the pace to my
horse’s liking. As we rounded the first turn, he had already pricked his ears —
both his antennae were up. He was gathering the horses in front of him, wanting
to go after them. I asked him gingerly not to, and he was attentive.”
“There was always a question of rate-ability,” Trombetta said. “He showed
today he can do whatever (Desormeaux) wants him to do.”
Mister Triester held second by a length over Cause to Believe (Maria’s Mon),
who had another 1 1/2 lengths to spare over Lewis Michael (Rahy). Malameeze
(Saint Ballado), Racketeer (Awesome Again), My Golden Song (Unbridled’s Song),
Creative Force (Red Ransom), Itsallboutthechase (Devil His Due) and Devilofarush
(Wild Rush) completed the order of finish.
As the 6-5 favorite, Sweetnorthernsaint returned $4.60, $3.20 and $3. The
27-1 Mister Triester paid a healthy $19 and $8, while Cause to Believe gave back
$2.60 to show as the 2-1 third choice. The exotics were worth $80.60 (exacta),
$311.80 (trifecta) and $3,948.60 (10-6-7-4 superfecta with the 22-1 Lewis
Michael in fourth).
Sweetnorthernsaint has improved his mark to 6-3-0-1 with a bankroll of
$377,000. His other stakes victory came two starts back in the Miracle Wood S.
at Laurel Park. In his last outing, he was a solid third in the Gotham at Aqueduct, beaten three-quarters of a length after a wide trip throughout on
the inner dirt.
Bred by Eduardo Azpurua in Florida, Sweetnorthernsaint is out of the winning
Waquoit mare Ice Beauty, who has also produced stakes winner Maria’s Image
(Master Bill) and two full brothers to the Illinois Derby hero — two-year-old
Royal Goliath and an unnamed yearling. Ice Beauty is a half-sister to multiple
Grade 3 winner Fighting Fantasy (Fighting Fit). This is the family of Grade 1
winner Snow Ridge, Grade 2 winner Eye of the Tiger and recent Santa Anita Oaks
(G1) runner-up Quiet Kim (Real Quiet).
The next target is likely the Kentucky Derby, and Desormeaux has no doubt
about his partner’s distance capacity.
“I’ll tell you right now, the (1 1/2-mile) Belmont (S. [G1]) would probably be
the easiest thing for this horse,” Desormeaux said. “He’s going to enjoy
distance. The mile and a quarter of the Kentucky Derby is the classic distance,
and I think it’s right between his eyes.”