Banned from racing in Australia after bleeding for a second time in March of 2019, the former Chris Waller trained gelding Paret has claimed his first stakes victory in North America.
The five year-old son of Harbour Watch (IRE) won the $80,000 Tiller Stakes at Belmont over 1 3/8th mile on turf.
Now trained by Chuck Lawrence, he scored a head win in a thrilling finish, taking his overall record to five wins and seven placings from 22 starts.
"We've been working with this horse, trying to just get him to chill out and turn off, and it obviously worked," Lawrence said.
"What a nice horse; he gets all the credit. This horse gets turned out at 5 every morning in his own paddock. Then we train him a few days a week out back on the hills. He trains primarily on Michael Dickinson's Tapeta (track), and he just thrives on it. We turn him out rain or shine every day, and he just loves it.”
A $110,000 Magic Millions purchase for Mulcaster Bloodstock from the Tyreel Stud draft, Paret was bred by Qatar Bloodstock and is the best of four winners from Encosta de Lago mare Enduja, a half-sister to stakes-winners Cajarian, Very Sydney and to the dams of Group I winners Margot Did and Caradak.
Paret was the second most expensive yearling from the first Australian crop of Harbour Watch, who shuttled here for just two seasons.
Willow Park will offer a half-sister by Snitzel to Paret in the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
