George Messina and Michael Lee’s Kentucky-bred Fionn tagged race favorite Nitrogen right at the wire to win the $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) in a thrilling finish during the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga.
The recipient of a well-timed ride from Flavien Prat, Fionn settled in mid-pack in the early stages of the 1 1/8-mile turf fixture. She tipped three wide around the far turn, angling five wide in upper stretch. Her relentless rally got her to the wire in time, prevailing by a nose over Nitrogen. Fionn’s final time of 1:44.84 lowered the previous Mellon turf course record. The previous mark was 1:45.06 set by In Italian in the 2022 Grade 1 Diana.
“I didn’t know we had it, until obviously they posted the numbers,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “But I felt like she hit the wire [first]. “At the wire, it looked like she had her nose down.”
Fionn Proving a Bargain
A daughter of Twirling Candy, Fionn was bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms. She is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Gaelic Gold.
“When we turned for home, I was riding her and she wasn’t responding much but she swapped leads and leveled off nice,” shared Prat. “I tapped her a few times with the crop, and she responded at that point. I thought I was making a run. But I didn’t know if I was going to go by. I thought she was making a good run.”
Co-owner Michael Lee said the $75,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale has proven to be the bargain of a lifetime.
“It was outstanding. This is my first Grade 1 winner,” Lee said. “George [Messina] and I have been partners for just about two years, and we have only owned a few horses. And this was a relatively inexpensive purchase for $75,000. I just can’t believe we are winning a Grade 1 right now.”
The next local spot in this division is the 1 3/16-mile Grade 2, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 9, which Cox said is a possibility for Fionn.