International scouting report: Belmont Derby Invitational
July 8th, 2017
Called to the Bar, despite not having as many starts under his belt as Aidan O’Brien’s duo of Homesman and Whitecliffsofdover, has been a total professional from day one. And if he weren’t a gelding, surely Called to the Bar would be contesting the Grand Prix de Paris (G1) on Bastille Day. Instead he’s chasing the money at Belmont Park. If early indications can be believed, we might be saying that about him for years to come.
A Fair Salinia homebred co-owned by Brandt, Called to the Bar was a fine second in his career debut to Andre Fabre’s hotpot Waldgeist. If Called to the Bar didn’t have to wait for room as Waldgeist got first run, he would probably have reduced the two-length margin. Two starts later, Waldgeist landed the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (G1), and this campaign, he just missed in the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) (G1) and most recently finished fourth in the Irish Derby (G1). Called to the Bar was narrowly denied by another Fabre runner, Mask of Time, in his reappearance on soft ground at Fontainbleau.
Up in trip to 1 1/4 miles for a May 3 Chantilly maiden, Called to the Bar was a revelation. He lobbed along on the front end and delivered the coup de grace before his foes knew what hit them, giving jockey Maxime Guyon time for a few glances over the shoulder as he throttled him down.
Connections supplemented Called to the Bar to the May 23 Prix du Lys (G3), a trial for the Grand Prix de Paris. He repeated the pacesetting feat over 1 1/2 miles, again lulling his rivals into a false sense of security and quickening to put the race away.
Although it’s difficult to calibrate this lightly-raced French form with the more exposed Anglo-Irish three-year-olds, at least it is standing up internally. The second and third from the Lys have since come back to run one-two in the Prix Hocquart (G2), with old foe Mask of Time back in fourth.
Called to the Bar likely gets that turn of foot from sire Henrythenavigator, combined with the stamina of his broodmare sire Unfuwain, a Northern Dancer half-brother to Nashwan and Nayef who was a relentless galloper in his prime. His dam, Group 3 victress Perfect Hedge, is a half-sister to Australian Group 1 hero He’s Your Man. Called to the Bar’s third dam is the prolific Alexandrie, so the female line has no shortage of heft.
The concern is that this is a big ask for a sophomore with limited experience, consisting of four starts in France, to hop on a plane for the most searching test of his career. But Called to the Bar has yet to finish worse than second, and his forward running style should help him to work out a favorable trip. The fact that Guyon comes in for the ride is significant.
Brandt, who won last year’s Grand Prix de Paris with Mont Ormel, has also trained high-class stayer Bathyrhon, Camprock, current sprinter Fas, and 2014 Balanchine (G2) heroine L’Amour de Ma Vie, putting her on the map internationally at the Dubai Carnival. She’s also shipped to New York, with Rymska finishing second in last fall’s Miss Grillo (G3).
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Aidan O’Brien nearly captured the inaugural Belmont Derby Invitational with Adelaide in 2014, returned triumphant in last year’s edition with Deauville, and now dispatches two contenders.
Neither brings the profile of Deauville into a stronger renewal, led by budding star Yoshida, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner Oscar Performance, the progressive Arklow, and the talented if idiosyncratic Ticonderoga, who shouldn’t be anywhere near 15-1.
Homesman has a slight whiff of Adelaide about him, more in terms of how he’s getting here than in his overall profile. The May 26 foal wasn’t ready to start until late October as a juvenile, staying on strongly from well back for a promising second to stablemate War Secretary. Already in that seven-furlong Dundalk maiden, he hinted a preference for more ground.
Resurfacing in a 1 1/4-mile maiden at Navan April 24, Homesman drafted just behind the leaders, appeared to hit a flat spot on the far turn, but kept on dourly in the stretch. His inexperienced might have shown when not seeing much daylight. He was never going to win, but his fourth (beaten all of two lengths) was better than it looks on paper – especially if you factor in his physique. The dark bay is a big, robust type who takes some getting fit, and the combination of physical requirements and mental babyhood (he was adding cheekpieces) could account for a lot.
Homesman obliged six days later on a step up to about 11 1/2 furlongs at Limerick. Setting the pace while pressured throughout, he ducked out in the stretch and bumped a rival hard, but it wasn’t through tiredness. Homesman re-broke once straightened, powered away, and eased himself down late. Then he kept his win after a stewards’ inquiry into the body slam.
Although getting the hang of things, Homesman still needed some fine-tuning, so O’Brien threw him right back in two weeks later at the Curragh, dropped the cheekpieces, and added a visor. This was another valuable piece of schooling, since he was cutting back dramatically to a mile. He was going to have to react to different style of race. Not surprisingly, Homesman didn’t have the gears to match odds-on Irishcorrespondent (who went on to finish third to Churchill and Thunder Snow in the Irish 2000 Guineas [G1]), and he again wandered around wayward in midstretch. But he was far clear of third, and showed enough to take the next step at Group 3 level.
So far, there is no parallel with Adelaide, who broke his maiden in his sole outing at two and kicked off 2014 with a second in the Prix Hocquart (G2). But now their paths finally begin to mirror each other: both Adelaide and Homesman captured the 1 1/4-mile Gallinule (G3) on the way to creditable performances in defeat at Royal Ascot.
Homesman’s immaturity caused him to take a more circuitous path to the Gallinule, but the extra work paid off as he turned in a more professional display, now with blinkers added. Held up off the pace by Ryan Moore, who made sure to stoke him up early, he was workmanlike but effective down the stretch to thrust his head in front on the line (watch from 2:45):
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