The Remsen ... Results are now official ... Pletcher's Mo Donegal wins ...

Jockey Irad Ortiz took Todd Pletcher's Mo Donegal all the way to the winner's circle at Aqueduct in The Remsen Stakes ... see a recap below!

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher once again notched Kentucky Derby Points, as his colt by Pulpit, Mo Donegal, won by nose over Chad Brown's Zandon. Rewarding bettors with $4.90 (W), $2.70 (P), and $2.30 (S). What a duel down the stretch it was, as Irad Ortiz urged his mount on to the last (bumping into John Velazquez and his mount down the lane). Out of the gate, this colt was taken back nicely, tracking Fromanothamutha and Midnight Chrome. Going around 2-turns, it would take a mix of stamina and power to circumvent the 1 1/8th.

At stake were Kentucky Derby Points (10-4-2-1), and it would serve as a nice bounce race moving into 2022. Halfway through the contest, it looked as though HOF jockey John Velazquez had quite a bit of horse left for the final couple of furlongs. However, even though he bumped at the break, Mo Donegal bided his time, waiting for the proper time to strike. Ortiz asked the proverbial question, and the colt responded in kind.

With fractions that were 25.18, 51.47, and 1:16.34, that speaks to an incredibly slow pace. Once Pletcher's runner kicked it into gear, he chewed up the Aqueduct dirt in fine style, and that put him in a position to score when the time was right. Donegal Racing, the connections, have had some wonderful winners over the years, and their conditioner can now make plans for a future that could include the Derby Trail. That will begin anew in the spring, when the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" resumes ...