Belmont Sprint Championship Second For Marking

Marking went close to winning the seven-furlong G3 Belmont Sprint Championship, worth US$400,000, on Saturday, July 9.

The four-year-old colt, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and partnered by Jose Lezcano, broke from the outside stall and raced wide in fourth of the seven runners before moving up to go third.

He continued to make progress on the outside and disputed the running on the turn for home.

Marking, widest of all, led briefly before A. P. Indian, who raced on the inside, hit the front on straightening up.

The son of Bernardini ran on well but could not quite get to grips with the winner by the line, going down by a head, the pair clear with four and a quarter lengths further back to the third, Ready For Rye. The winning time for the seven furlongs on dirt was 1m 21.41s.

Kiaran McLaughling said: "Marking ran great but just lost out by a head when he should have won.

"It is frustrating as he ran 43 feet further than the winner and was kept out wider than he should have been by the leader Private Zone.

"We are likely to aim Marking at the G1 Forego Stakes (7f) on Travers Day (August 27) at Saratoga."