The $500,000 Man O'War Stakes featured older horses going 1 3/8 miles over the Widener turf course. Eleven went to post in this Grade 1 event including 2004 Breeders' Cup Turf champion Better Talk Now, making his final prep for his title defense. Better Talk Now and entrymate Shake The Bank were bet down to 3-1 favoritism over 7-2 second choice Relaxed Gesture and 4-1 third choice King's Drama. Better Talk Now apparently was not 100% going into the race. Motion explained, "We had trouble with one of Better Talk Now's hooves. My blacksmith has been working on him for three days, and put a patch on him."
Following trainer H. Graham Motion's instructions, jockey Tom Turner and Shake The Bank drew away from the field right away, setting fractions of 24.00, 47.21, 1:11.18, and 1:35.94, leaving the field eight lengths behind during most of the trip down Belmont's long backstretch. Ramon Dominguez aboard Better Talk Now was in no hurry, settling back in ninth preparing for his usual late rally. Turning for home, Shake The Bank succumbed to his fast pace and dropped back to last, as second choice Relaxed Gesture took over the lead with a furlong to go, just a head in front of King's Drama. But Better Talk Now was just getting into his best stride taking the overland route on the turn. He closed strongly down the center of the course, and just got up in time to win by a neck over King's Drama in stakes record time of 2:11.65. It was just 1/2 a length back to Relaxed Gesture in third.
Results Chart from DRF
Winning trainer H. Graham Motion said, "I think that in the Breeders' Cup, there will be a legitimate pace. It's amazing to me how little respect this horse gets. I don't think any horse in any division has accomplished in the last year what he has. Ramon (Dominguez) has the utmost confidence in this horse. He's not an easy horse to ride. I think he's getting better, to be honest. This was the perfect prep. He does well with time between his races. Knock on wood, we can keep him sound. My dream has always been to get him back to the Breeders' Cup."
Winning jockey Ramon Dominguez said, "I had a really great trip. Once I got him clear down the lane, he was very determined to win. I'm not going to say I knew he was going to win by many; I just felt confident enough that he was going to get the job done. I kept him together. He was very determined today. It was nice winning on a course like this because some people said he couldn't win on firm ground. The turf is very firm."
John Velazquez aboard second place finisher King's Drama said, "I thought I had a perfect trip. When I asked him, he responded and gave me good run. His horse was just a tiny both better than mine today."
Christophe Clement, trainer of third lace finisher Relaxed Gesture, said, "The race didn't unfold the way I thought it would unfold. I thought we would be sitting behind King's Drama and make one late run. We wound up leading the second group. The jockey said the horse was very comfortable. The horse didn't quit, we just got out-finished by the other two horses. The time of the race was very good." Clement said that Relaxed Gesture may go next in the Breeders' Cup Turf.
On to the Garden City Breeders' Cup won by Luas Line
On to the Gazelle won by In The Gold
Back to the Woodward Stakes won by Saint Liam
