The Sessions filly Ihts Closing Inn extended her winning Sequence to five when proving much the best in Saturday’s Listed Montague - Belmont Classic (2200m) at Belmont Park.
Willie Pike is a perfect six for six on the Adam Durrant-trained filly who was making her 14th start of the campaign.
Pike settled Ihts Closing Inn out the back before moving to a threatening position on straightening on the back of Upper Limits.
A fourth winner on the day carrying the Oaklands Stud silks, Ihts Closing Inn blew past Upper Limits (Exosphere) by two lengths, with Demolish (Rich Enuff) a head back in third.
“She just keeps lifting the bar, and I have a lot of respect for the second horse,” Durrant said.
“Willie said he wanted to ride her quietly. I said do what you want; you can’t win sitting fourth like we did last start. She does not have the same finish; play it how you feel.
“That is why he is as good as he is. I thought he had put her to sleep a bit too much. I thought she was losing touch a couple of times. She knows when to track up.”
Ihts Closing Inn has been on the go since January 5 after finishing unplaced in a Pinjarra Park maiden last August.
A last-start winner of the Listed WATC Belmont Oaks, the 3yo daughter of Sessions advances her record to eight wins, one second and two thirds from 15 starts with earnings of $488,438.
Bred by Oakland Park Stud, Ihts Closing Inn is the best of three winners from four to race for the stakes-placed winner Ihtsatune (Ihtiram).
A sister to Group 1 Kingston Town Classic winner Ihtsahymn and half to Listed winner Jestatune (dam of Gr III MRC Vain Stakes winner Jukebox), and to the dams of Bruckner and Beethoven, Ihtsatune had not had a live foal in two years before being covered by Alabama Express last spring.
Ihts Closing Inn is one of three stakes winners for Oakland Park Stud’s Group II winning Lonhro stallion Sessions, which stands at an increased fee of $11,000 in 2023.
