Vekoma spoils party for Code of Honor and McKinzie
Jockey Manuel Franco rides atop Tiz the Law #8 after crossing the finish line to win during the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 20, 2020 in Elmont, New York. PHOTO | AL BELLO | AFP
What you need to know:
- Code of Honor closed in third, with Warrior's Charge a neck back in fourth.
Vekoma (Javier Castellano 9-5), scored a front-running 1.4 length triumph in Saturday's Runhappy Met Mile Handicap at Belmont Park, New York, setting enough speed to violate charges from Network Effect and Code of Honor. Breeders' Cup Dirt Series, here he comes.
Clocking 1:32:8/10 seconds, Vekoma was unaware that Network Effect had altered course after lacking essential room on the rails which must have cost a half-length. Code of Honor closed in third, with Warrior's Charge a neck back in fourth. A more fancied McKinzie 9-5, only managed fifth.
Breaking first, Vekoma was always being shadowed by Warrior's Charge. Endorsed and McKinzie loomed closer of those two into the far turn, but neither could extricate any more tempo. Code of Honor (John Velazquez 2-1), did not live up to his billing.
Vekoma's $500,000 Runhappy Met Mile was his sixth win in eight attempts. He now deserves a decent rest before Santa Anita.
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Tacitus from Juddmonte Farms, rewarded Bill Mott's patience, with a cracking return to the winner's circle in the $200,000 Suburban, for older horses also at Belmont.
The 1.4-mile event rounded out a packed programme of five graded races. Tacitus, a pretty colored roan son of Tapit, with John Velazquez, broke decently to wither his way through a tepid pace set by Parsimony. Mr. Buff followed him home.
