It may not have been quite as easy as some were expecting, but Point of Entry got the job done in the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (gr. I) this afternoon at Belmont Park,
Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, who was winning his third consecutive grade I race of the day, Point of Entry got away to a clean start and soon settled into the third position, tucked in along the rail as Little Mike and Treasure Beach led the way through slow fractions of :25.70, :51.99, and 1:18.16 seconds. Kindergarden Kid, Hailstone, and Finnegans Wake were the early trailers.
Just past the halfway point of the race, Treasure Beach and Point of Entry made bold runs to move ahead of Little Mike, who was gradually dropping out of contention.
Moving round the final turn, Point of Entry moved up to challenge Treasure Beach for the lead, while Kindergarden Kid loomed a contender along the inside. Turning for home, Treasure Beach drifted outward several paths, taking Point of Entry with him and allowing Kindergarden Kid to make a bold run along the rail. However, Treasure Beach soon straightened out, and Point of Entry put him away and drew off to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 2:33.73 seconds.
Kindergarden Kid 2 1/2 lengths further back in third, followed by Finnegans Wake, Little Mike, and Hailstone. The winner, a son of Dynaformer, is owned by Phipps Stable and trained by Shug McGaughey. He has now won five consecutive races, including three straight grade Is.
-Keelerman
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