by Jeff Apel

Multiple Grade 1 winner Vineyard Haven impressed jockey Edgar Prado while earning a front-running 5 3/4-length win in the $400,000 Champagne Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Belmont Park.

“How many horses do you know that can do that: go fast, relax on the turn, and then find another gear?” Prado said. “I had to ease up in the last part because he was opening up too much on the group.”

Vineyard Haven needed only mild hand urging to earn his second consecutive graded stakes win. The Lido Palace (Chi) colt entered off a 2 1/4-length win in the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (G1) on September 1 at Saratoga Race Course.

The win in the Champagne earned Vineyard Haven a starting spot in the $2-million Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) on October 25 at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.

Vineyard Haven was positioned near the inside rail at the start of the one-mile Champagne and dueled with A. P. Cardinal for the early lead through a quarter-mile in :22.74. Gaining command on the backstretch, Vineyard Haven opened a half-length advantage through a half-mile in :45.59 and increased his lead to two lengths through six furlongs in 1:10.53.

Increasing his advantage on the turn, Vineyard Haven led by 3 1/2 lengths in early stretch and easily won in 1:36.06 on a track rated as fast.

Hopeful Stakes third-place finisher Munnings was second, three-quarters of a length in front of third-place finisher Cribnote, the 3.45-to-1 favorite in a field of ten.

Bobby Frankel trains Vineyard Haven and co-owns the gray or roan colt along with Louis Lazzinnaro and Diamond Pride. Vineyard Haven finished third in the Sanford Stakes (G2) on July 24 at Saratoga prior to winning the Three Chimneys Hopeful.

Vineyard Haven earned his third win in four starts and increased his earnings to $419,000. Bred in Florida by Lynn Scace, Vineyard Haven is a half brother to stakes winner On the Vineyard and is one of two winners from as many starters out of the winning Aloha Prospector mare Princess Aloha.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Jeff Apel is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor