WAR FRONT’s Annapolis put his lone career loss behind him on Independence Day when the 3-year-old won the Listed Manila Stakes by 2 ¾ lengths at Belmont Park.
Racing a mile on the turf as the race favorite after just missing in last month’s Penn Mile (G2) on soft ground, Annapolis broke well and settled on the rail just behind the two pacemakers alongside Coinage. Entering the turn, Annapolis had to drop back to find a way out but when he found it, he didn’t take long to go after the lead.
Annapolis shot through the gap and in only a few strides had the lead. Irad Ortiz Jr put the whip away near the wire as the colt extended the lead with ears pricked for his third victory in four career starts.
“We thought really hard about the Belmont Derby but we felt doing that off of one start might be a little bit too much,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “So, we figured we’d try this and get this under his belt and hopefully set us up for Saratoga. He gives me the impression [that he will stretch out].”
Trained by Pletcher for owner/breeding Bass Racing, Annapolis is out of the Grade 2 winner and multiple Grade 1-placed My Miss Sophia, who sold for $4 million to the Basses carrying the colt at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
My Miss Sophia had another WAR FRONT colt last year and returned to WAR FRONT for 2022.