by Bob Ehalt

Though the stakes was humble, there was no place like home for Kip Deville on Sunday in the $108,300 Poker Handicap (G3) at Belmont Park.

Though based for much of the year in New York, the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner has never raced there, shipping instead to tracks in Kentucky, California, New Jersey, and Canada. But on Sunday, the five-year-old Kipling horse motored to the lead under a hand ride leaving the quarter pole and then cruising to a 2 3/4-length victory over Tam Lin (GB) in the one-mile turf race.

Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., Kip Deville, the 2-to-5 favorite, broke quickest in the one-turn mile, but was then reined in by jockey Cornelio Velasquez and tracked the front-running Sensational Humor from second through an opening half-mile in 47.32 seconds.

Tam Lin joined the mix from the outside on the turn, but was unable to keep step when Velasquez moved Kip Deville to the front at the top of the stretch. Under slight urging from his rider, Kip Deville opened a two-length lead at the eighth pole and was never threatened in the final furlong.

Tam Lin, the 3-to-1 second choice and a Group 3 winner in England, finished second, two lengths ahead of Operation Red Dawn.

The victory was the third straight for Kip Deville and his 11th in 23 career starts. Winner of the Makers Mark Mile Stakes (G1) on April 11 at Keeneland Race Course in his last start, the Oklahoma-bred Kipling horse took home a $64,980 share of the Poker purse to push his career earnings to $2,685,402.

“He’s a super racehorse. We’ve been running all over the place with him, and we’re happy to get him to New York,” said Michael Iavarone, co-president of IEAH Stables. “He loves this turf.”

As for what is ahead, Dutrow said his horse will be hitting the road once again.

“His next race will be in Canada [the Woodbine Mile on September 7], and it looks like what we have to do is keep him where he is at,” Dutrow said.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Bob Ehalt is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent