Locally Owned held off his heavily favored stablemate Lone Rock to win Saturday’s $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Inv. at Belmont Park.
Locally Owned, a 5-year-old son of Distorted Humor, was making his first stakes start in nearly two years. He was in no hurry early in the 1 5/8-mile marathon, taking up his spot at the rear of the five-horse field. Mo Gotcha and Lone Rock led the quintet through a mile in 1:42.24 before the pace began to quicken.
Locally Owned, under Dylan Davis, came up the rail to challenge the leaders at the top of the stretch. He took the lead soon after Mo Gotcha began to fade, and then outran Lone Rock to win by a length.
“I took that position because I didn’t want Lone Rock to get the jump early before I did,” Davis said of his inside move. “I took the initiative, and he took control. He really finished strong at the wire. He really wanted to be there first.”
Locally Owned races for Flying P Stable. Saturday’s win upped his record to 5-5-5 in 24 starts and earnings to $461,431. The winner was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and is out of Fiftyshadesofhay, a four-time graded stakes winner of over $1 million.
Locally owned is the 163rd lifetime stakes winner for Distorted Humor, the most for any active North American sire.
