Team Valor and Earle Mack’s Spanish Mission nosed out Pedro Cara to win the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park on September 7th, 2019.
NBC’s Kenny Rice caught up with Amb. Earle Mack ahead of the race.
(Video courtesy of NBC Sports)
Watch the race from start to photo finish (from NYRA):
Rider Jamie Spencer had this to say about Spanish Mission’s performance at the event, “Going into the final turn he was giving me all he had. I dropped my right rein and even though I was using the crop, when you drop your reins in a race, it typically signals to the horse that the race is over. I would’ve been mad with myself had we lost, but he got back on his game and finished strong. He was a very game horse today.”
Amb. Mack and Team Valor’s Barry Irwin were interviewed by Kenny Rice following the win.
(Video courtesy of NBC Sports)
You can read more about Spanish Mission’s thrilling victory at the following links:
Noble Mission’s Spanish Mission Gets Up Just in Time in Jockey Club Derby
Spanish Mission Noses Out Longshot Pedro Cara In Jockey Club Derby
Spanish Mission Prevails in Thrilling Finish in Jockey Club Derby