Juddmonte Farms’ homebred FIRST DEFENCE (Unbridled’s Song) sped to the front,
opened up a sizeable lead turning for home and found just enough late to post a
head win in the $162,966
Jaipur S. (G3) over the yielding Belmont inner turf
course on Sunday. The Bobby Frankel trainee established early splits of :21 4/5
and :44 4/5 under Javier Castellano prior to completing the six-furlong grass
test in 1:09 2/5, earning his first graded tally on the way. The even-money
favorite gave back $4, $3.10 and $2.40 while keying the $18.40 exacta, $61.50
trifecta and $151.40 superfecta (6-1-3-9).
Salute the Count (Count the Time) rated well of the pace while saving ground
to the stretch, kicked into gear inside the final furlong and just missed on the
outside as the 9-2 third choice. The runner-up paid $4 and $2.80. Mohegan Sky
(Straight Man) was in good striking range on the inside and showed good late
energy to gain the show, a half-length behind Salute the Count, paying $3.80 at 8-1.
True to Tradition (Rahy) tracked the winner to late stretch as the 4-1 second
choice and capped the superfecta, a nose in back of Mohegan Sky. Metro Meteor (City Zip) was next and
was trailed by Port Royal (Giant’s Causeway), Silver Timber (Prime Timber) and
Hollywood Left (Wheaton). Emirates to Dubai (Storm Cat) and Frisco Star (More
Than Ready) were withdrawn.
First Defence improved his lifetime line to 10-5-2-0 following the win. The
Kentucky-bred four-year-old captured the Long Branch S. at Monmouth Park last summer and
followed that with a game second-place showing in the King’s Bishop S. (G1) behind
the talented Hard Spun (Danzig). The bay captured his yearly debut in an
allowance on the Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard and was most recently fifth in
the Metropolitan H. (G1) after attending the pace to midstretch. First Defence
has now bankrolled $376,534.
The winner was produced from Grade 1 queen Honest Lady (Seattle Slew), a
four-time graded stakes vixen who finished second in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup
Sprint (G1). Honest Lady is out of the Grade 1-winning blue hen Toussaud (El Gran
Senor), the 2002 Broodmare of the Year, and is kin to Grade 1 winners
Empire Maker (Unbridled), Chester House (Mr. Prospector) and Chiselling
(Woodman), as well as Grade 2 hero Decarchy (Distant View).
First Defence has an unnamed yearling half-brother by Smart Strike and an
unnamed 2008 half-brother by Giant’s Causeway.