Senbei storms to victory in Saturday’s Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes. NYRA Photo.
New York-bred stalwart Senbei scored his first graded stakes victory Saturday with a victory in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meeting.
The Dr. Jerry Bilinski-bred 5-year-old gelding broke well in the 6-furlong turf stakes before settling in the two path as one of the mid-pack markers. Senbei relaxed under Manny Franco as Nothing Better and Determined Kingdom battled for the lead through fractions of :22.10 and :44.37.
Franco took Senbei wider at the top of the stretch for clear running room and the gelding quickly found his top gear. As the front runners continued to battle for the lead, Senbei was able to sneak up the outside. Senbei flew past the leaders inside the final sixteenth to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:07.74 with Nothing Better second and Alogon in third.
“I had a great trip,” said Franco. “My horse broke OK, and those three horses went to the lead and I just stayed behind them. He was traveling nice and on the bridle. When I hit the clear at the quarter pole, I have to give credit to the horses in front because they were tough to go by, but my horse did it. They didn’t come back at all, but my horse ran them down.”
The Belmont Turf Sprint gave Senbei, the 2021 New York-bred champion 2-year-old male, his second win in four starts this year. He also won an allowance-optional claimer at the Aqueduct in July. He finished third in the Select Stakes last out and now has an overall record of seven wins, two seconds, and a third in 17 starts with $640,000 in earnings for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Darlene Bilinski.
“He’s a good horse,” said trainer Christophe Clement. “As a young horse, he was very good on dirt – he lost his form a bit on dirt and the grass brought him back. He’s been running very well on grass – maybe more on firmer turf than softer turf. He’s not always lucky. In turf racing, you need a bit of racing luck but today he was very impressive.”
Foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Senbei was named by Clement’s daughter-in-law and NYRA racing analyst Acacia Clement after the Japanese cracker by the same name. Senbei was purchased from Stuart Morris’s consignment by his trainer for $280,000 as a short yearling during the 2020 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.
Senbei is one of five winners and four stakes performers out of Western Cat daughter Sweet Aloha, who also produced dual stakes winners Filibustin and Indy’s Lady and the stakes-placed Man O Manassas. Filibustin has gone on to be a stakes producer herself as the dam of stakes winner Mr Fillip.
Sweet Aloha’s youngest foal is a 2-year-old New York-bred Twirling Candy colt named Tropical Candy who sold for $150,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. – Melissa Bauer-Herzog
