Constitution’s white-hot streak rolled on Sunday at Del Mar when the 3-year-old colt Strongconstitution shot through a narrow opening in upper stretch to win the Let It Ride S.
Making his first stakes start since finishing second in the Bob Hope S. (G3) almost a year ago, Strongconstitution broke on the lead but settled back a few length off a hot pace set by Dominant Soul. The first half-mile went in :45.62 and the six furlongs in 1:10.16. Strongconstitution was bottled up behind horses coming into the stretch, but jockey Abel Cedillo sent his mount through a small gap near the fence and took over the lead. He held off Heywoods Beach to win by a head in 1:34.09 for the mile on the firm turf.
“He was training really nice up to the race and that told us he was ready. We got pretty worried up to the last quarter mile because he got blocked pretty good,” said trainer Doug O’Neill’s assistant Leandro Mora.
The winner is owned by Roadrunner Racing and Sayjay Racing and was bred in Kentucky by Stonehaven Steadings.
Over the past weekend, Constitution has had two Grade 1 winners and Grade 1 runner-up in Chile, and a pair of North American stakes winners. The WinStar stallion will be represented in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) by multiple Grade 1 winner Tiz the Law.
