Grade I Winners Nominated To Commonwealth Derby (G2) and Cup (G2)
Grade I Winners Nominated To Commonwealth Derby (G2) and Cup (G2)
Force the Pass Nominated to Derby, Mr Speaker to Cup
LAUREL, MD – Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) winner Force the Pass and Secretariat (G1) runner-up Closing Bell have been nominated to the $400,000 The Commonwealth Derby (G2), to be run Saturday, Sept. 19 at Laurel Park.
The Commonwealth Derby will be the co-feature Saturday at Laurel along with the $250,000 The Commonwealth Cup. Both races are scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The Cup, for 3-year-olds and up, drew nominations from 2014 Belmont Derby Invitational winner Mr Speaker, the multiple-graded stakes winner Mshawish and Dixie (G2) runner-up Cage Fighter.
Force the Pass, owned by Richard Santulli and trained by Alan Goldberg, broke his maiden and won the Cutler Bay over the winter at Gulfstream Park before heading north to win the Penn Mile (G3) and Belmont Derby before finishing third August 15 at Arlington Park in the Secretariat. The son of Speightstown, unraced at two, has won or placed second in six of his seven starts.
Closing Bell is one of four horses nominated to the Derby by trainer Bill Mott. The son of Tapit finished second in the Secretariat last time out after a fourth-place finish in the Belmont Derby. Mott has also nominated Courtier, third in the Hall of Fame (G2) at Saratoga, and Go Around, third most recently in the Saranac (G3).
Trainer Arnaud Delacour nominated Divining Rod, third in the Preakness (G1), Ohio Derby and Indiana Derby (G3). The colt’s only turf start resulted in a third-place finish in December of 2014 at Tampa Bay Downs.
There are 31 horses nominated to The Commonwealth Cup led by Mr Speaker. The Shug McGaughey-trained colt is a multiple-graded stakes winner. The son of Pulpit finished fourth last time out in the Sky Classic (G2) at Woodbine.
Trainer Graham Motion has nominated seven horses for the Cup including McKnight (G3) winner Divine Oath, the Grade 3 winner Holiday Star, and Under Control, a recent winner in the Lure at Saratoga. Bill Mott nominated three horses, including Monmouth Stakes (G2) winner Triple Threat and Seek Again, who finished third in both the Shoemaker (G1) Mile and Fourstardave (G2).
Trainers Chad Brown and Christophe Clement nominated two horses each to the Cup. Brown nominated Il Campione, who finished third in his U.S. debut June 13 in the Poker (G3), while Clement nominated Middleburg, a winner last time out of the Cliff Hanger (G3).
