Private purchase Kensington Lane dazzles in G1 Belmont Oaks

Private purchase Kensington Lane turned in a devastating display to win the $600,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks at Saratoga on Saturday.

Carrying the colours of Medallion, Agave Racing Stable and Trommer, who purchased the Donnacha O’Brien-trained filly in a deal brokered with Avenue Bloodstock in early May, Kensington Lane broke smartly under Joel Rosario and built up a sizeable advantage heading into the final turn, which she was able to maintain to win by almost two lengths ears pricked.

“Given the way she’s broken out of the gate in Europe, we thought she could be forward,” said Phillip Shelton, racing manager for co-owner Medallion Racing. “I told [Joel Rosario] we want her to be within a couple lengths of the lead, if she ends up on the lead because nobody goes, that’s fine. He opened up by three [lengths] and I was hoping he didn’t go too early, but it never felt like he had to get into her too hard. She appreciated the circumstances of the race.

“What we knew is she wants firm ground, and we thought the way she runs in Europe, a turning track would suit, and she just bolted up today. In this business, plans don’t work out very often, but this time it did.”

Kensington Lane is the latest top-flight winner for Donnacha O’Brien, also trainer of Porta Fortuna and Balantina. She was a tough campaigner last season as a two-year-old but has blossomed this year, with a win in the Group 3 Athasi Stakes and fifth in the Irish 1,000 Guineas preceding her win in Saratoga. Saturday’s success brought her earnings to $411,281.

She becomes the 11th G1 winner for Starspangledbanner and was bred by the Almost Always Partnership out of Almost Always, a Galileo daughter of Oaks heroine Ramruma.