In a thrilling display of power and precision, Carson’s Run emerged victorious in the Grade 1, $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational on Sunday, August 11, 2024. With a well-timed stretch-drive charge, Carson’s Run overtook the even-money favourite, Legend of Time, to win by three-quarters of a length over Saratoga’s outer turf course.
Already a Grade 1 winner from last year’s Summer Stakes at Woodbine, Carson’s Run continued his impressive form following a win in the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth Park in June. His victory in the Saratoga Derby also secured him an automatic berth in the prestigious Cox Plate (G1) on October 26 in Australia. This marked the second consecutive year that the New York Racing Association and Moonee Valley Racing Club offered the Saratoga Derby winner a chance to compete in one of the world’s most prestigious turf races.
Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey, Carson’s Run has become a fan favourite, particularly due to his special connection with Carson Jost, who was born with the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Carson is the son of Wade Jost, a former classmate of West Point Thoroughbreds’ founder Terry Finley at the U.S. Military Academy. An emotional Finley described seeing a rainbow over the Saratoga infield before the race as a sign of good fortune.
Jockey Dylan Davis, registering his third career Grade 1 win and his first in the U.S., expertly guided Carson’s Run to victory. The race unfolded with Izzy d’Oro setting the early pace, but it was in the final stretch where Carson’s Run made his decisive move from the outside, passing three challengers, including Legend of Time, to complete the 1 3/16-mile course in 1:55.81.
The victory also marked the first Saratoga Derby win for trainer Christophe Clement, who also trained the third-place finisher Deterministic. Legend of Time, trained by Charlie Appleby, had to settle for a hard-fought second place, while Royal Majesty, Izzy d’Oro, and Fulmineo completed the order of finish. First World War and Trikari, the latter having won the Secretariat Stakes (G2) earlier on the same day at Colonial Downs, were scratched from the race.
Carson’s Run, a 5-1 shot, returned $12.40 on a $2 win wager and added $330,000 to his career earnings, bringing his total to $719,529. Trainer Christophe Clement praised Davis’s ride and the horse’s spectacular turn-of-foot, which secured the victory.
The race, originally scheduled for August 3, was postponed twice due to heavy rain, making Carson’s Run’s victory all the more rewarding for Davis, who expressed excitement at the possibility of riding in the Cox Plate in Australia.
Legend of Time, who had finished third in the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) in July, ran a strong race but couldn’t hold off Carson’s Run in the final stretch. The Saratoga Derby has a history of producing top-tier talent, with its last four winners going on to claim a total of 10 subsequent Group or Grade 1 victories, including successes in the Cox Plate, Prix Ganay, and Royal Ascot’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes.