Photo:
Justin Manning / Eclipse Sportswire
There is an old saying in horse racing; class will tell. I believe we saw great examples of that yesterday in big races in New York and Virginia, as Renegade and Burnham Square proved best in important victories. The margin of victory in both races was only a half-length, but they each found that little bit extra when they really needed it.
For Renegade, it was critical to see the horse that ran so well in his first three races this year bounce back after a disappointing third-place finish in the Belmont Stakes. Saturday’s $500,000 Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga offered a short field, but a tough test with three other graded stakes winners in the field, led by the Grade 1 winner Commandment.
The Arlington Million is still one of America’s biggest turf prizes, and the race brought with it a chance for Burnham Square to get his first Grade 1 victory since switching to grass last summer. At a distance that is shorter than his best, he would need to prove himself as one of the best in the nation to win on Saturday at Colonial Downs.
In a race without much early speed, it would have been easy for rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. to decide to keep Renegade closer to the early pace than we’ve seen during his best performances. That strategy did not work in the Belmont, so it was good to see the Todd Pletcher-trainee relaxed early so that he could do what he does best late.
Lagging well off a moderate early pace set by Chip Honcho, and followed closely by Silent Tactic and Commandment, Renegade left himself plenty of work to do as the field of five hit the far turn after three-quarters of a mile were run in 1:12.30.
While the top three hit the stretch together, Renegade had begun to roll with a rhythmic late run. Swinging widest of all, he cut into the lead with every stride. By the time that Commandment put away Silent Tactic, the blue and orange silks of Mike Repole were gobbling up the needed ground in the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy.
Getting there a few strides before the wire, Renegade won by a well-timed half-length in 1:49.08. It was a big day for Pletcher, who won five on the afternoon, but none of the other wins were as important as the Jim Dandy. When he needed it most, Renegade dug deep and once again proved himself one of the best 3-year-olds in the nation.
While Renegade was actually just behind Commandment in the betting and the second choice in the Jim Dandy, Burnham Square was a clear favorite in the Arlington Million. Still, the 4-year-old gelded son of Liam’s Ma had to answer the question whether he could beat Grade 1 company while cutting back to a two-turn distance.
Ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr. and trained by Ian Wilkes, Burnham Square was handled confidently on Saturday. Kept well off the rail and away from trouble, the classy gelding bided his time well off slow early fractions. After six furlongs in 1:13.70, the pace began to quicken and the 4-5 favorite responded.
With the early leaders Layabout and Gran Oriente still having plenty left for the stretch run, and Dresden Row sitting a dream trip on the inside, Burnham Square needed to overcome the race shape and fire big on the outside. He did just that, sprinting for home as the best of the bunch.
The Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred hit the wire a measured half-length winner of the Arlington Million in 2:00.80. Gran Oriente nosed out Dresden Row for the place. It was Burnham Square’s fourth consecutive stakes victory and his sixth overall.
The first horse ever to win the Blue Grass and Arlington Million combination, Burnham Square joined an exclusive club as a Grade 1 winner on both turf and dirt. He became the first horse to turn the trick since War of Will won the 2019 Preakness and the 2020 Maker’s Mark Mile.
On a day filled with strong performances all over the nation, it was Renegade and Burnham Square who impressed the most.
It was the third stakes win in five starts this year for Renegade, who was also second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Belmont. There is still the question whether he is better at 9-furlongs than he is at ten. His powerful late charge may be more potent at the shorter distance. Still maturing and very close to getting the job done in the Kentucky Derby; however, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him run a big race in the Travers.
Much of how we remember the 3-year-old season of Renegade will come down to how he does in his next race. The Travers Stakes (G1) would be a season-making victory for the son of Into Mischief. Win the Mid-Summer Derby over his rival Golden Tempo, and the campaign would be considered a success no matter what happens down the road against older horses.
For Burnham Square, the stakes could be even bigger before the year is out. The $2 million Kentucky Downs Turf Cup will be next in five weeks, and after that will come the big one at Keeneland.
No American runner has won the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) since Bricks and Mortar did it back in 2019. That is too long a gap for the home team. Best at the 1 1/2-mile distance and very much at home at the host of this year’s Breeders’ Cup, I believe Burnham Square will have a big chance to keep the trophy from leaving the country this year.
Horses do not always need to win by big margins to impress. We saw two very good examples of that on Saturday in the Jim Dandy and the Arlington Million. Renegade and Burnham Square were the best horses on Saturday and their class prevailed. They were fun to watch.
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