Ihts Closing Inn much the best in Belmont Classic success on red-letter day for Oakland Park Stud
Making her 14th start since reappearing from a four-month break on January 5, the ultra-progressive Ihts Closing Inn (Sessions) finished off her season in brilliant fashion as she ran out an easy winner of yesterday’s Belmont Classic (Listed, 2200m).
In what was her fifth success on the bounce – her most recent being her maiden stakes win in the Belmont Oaks (Listed, 2000m) – the three-year-old daughter of Sessions (Lonhro) produced a career-best effort in a race that is likely to long remain in the memory of those involved.
Sent off the $2.70 favourite stepping beyond 2000 metres for the first time, the Adam Durrant-trained filly sat last in the nine-runner field under jockey William Pike, whose record on the filly now stands at a remarkable six victories from six outings.
With the leaders approaching the home bend, Pike began to encourage his mount to take closer order and the pair soon found themselves within striking distance of the front pack with around 400 metres to run.
Seemingly travelling best of all, the pair found traffic problems at the 300-metre pole, however Pike managed to find daylight and had a more than willing partner underneath him, with Ihts Closing Inn proving her name as she closed the gap on her main rival, the then-leader Upper Limits (Exosphere), with ease.
Under mere hands-and-heels riding from Pike, the filly came well clear of her toiling rivals in the final 50 metres to beat Upper Limits by a widening two lengths, with a further head back to Demolish (Rich Enuff) in third place.
“This is clearly her best win of the campaign. I love riding her and she’s a little pocket rocket, not a lot to look at but on race day she shows them what she’s got,” Pike said.
“I rode her to get the trip and with the sticky barrier [eight] I didn’t have many options. She is tactically versatile, but I do think being held up is the best version of her.”
Karnup-based trainer Durrant echoed Pike’s thoughts on the barrier draw and admitted it is hard to know where Ihts Closing Inn’s ceiling lies.
“It’s hard to know how good she is. She just keeps lifting the bar. I’ve got a lot of respect for the second horse, he’s already been placed at stakes level over the carnival so he’s no slouch,” the trainer, who was enjoying a double on the card, said.
“I had a chat with Willie [Pike] before the race and basically [barrier] eight of eight was his problem. He wanted to sit quietly on her and I said do what you want, play it how you feel, and that’s why he is as good as he is. He almost put her to sleep a little too much!
“It’s a great effort by the staff at home to keep this filly up for so long. She’s made us look good, but it takes work at home.
“She’s always had a bit of sass but she was always you’d point her where you needed her to go and she’d do it. She’d never shown anything special but as you can see when the pressure is on she lifts.”
The win of Ihts Closing Inn (3 f Sessions – Ihtsatune by Ihtiram) also provided her owner/breeders Oakland Park Stud, who will stand Group 2 winner Sessions for the 2023 breeding season at a fee of $11,000 (inc GST), with a fourth success on the day, following a maiden victory from Sapphire Street (Street Boss) and further wins from Galactic Storm (Street Boss) and Top Of The Pops (Spirit Of Boom) earlier on the card.
Out of the stud’s Group 3-placed winning mare Ihtsatune (Ihtiram), Ihts Closing Inn is a half-sister to winners Saint Tropez (Not A Single Doubt) and Snitzatune (Snitzel).