Sharp Performance, a late-blooming 3-year-old colt trained by Dave Donk, didn’t make his first start until March, finishing a close third on grass at Gulfstream Park. But the son of Kris S. out of a Theatrical mare is bred on both sides for turf and distance, and he’s done nothing wrong since.
After breaking his maiden by 13/4 lengths over the lawn at Belmont Park in May, then taking a mile-and-a-quarter allowance by two, Sharp Performance won his stakes debut yesterday at Belmont, coming from off the pace to take the Grade 3, $150,000 Lexington by a length. He ran the 10 furlongs over the inner turf course in a sizzling 1:58.4 under regular rider John Velazquez.
“We always thought he was a quality horse,” Donk said. “We were late getting started with him. He is still immature and was green through the lane. He ducked in and almost got dropped.”
Package Store, second by a neck last out in the Hill Prince here, ran a terrific race in finishing second. Ridden by Jerry Bailey, he set the pace to deep stretch and held a two-length lead with a furlong to go, but couldn’t hold off Sharp Performance while finishing 41/4 lengths clear of longshot Whitmore’s Conn in third.
“He’s still green, but he can really run,” Velazquez of Sharp Performance. “I knew Bailey’s horse was going to be tough to run down, but we had the momentum. Once I hit him left-handed, he got his mind on business.”
Sharp Performance paid $7.60 as the second choice, keying a $35 exacta. Strategic Partner, favored by $3 over Sharp Performance in the win pool, took a bad step in the stretch and finished sixth.