Peter Brant and St. Elias Stable’s Asbury Park rallied to a two-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, an 11-furlong inner turf test for sophomores at Belmont at the Big A.

It was a second stakes victory on the afternoon for Franco, trainer Chad Brown and co-owner and breeder St. Elias Stable, adding to Rated by Merit’s front-running win in the restricted $125,000 Discovery in Race 2. In victory, Asbury Park followed in the footsteps of his two-time Group 2-winning half-brother Spanish Mission, who captured the 2019 Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park.

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“It was a really fairly run race. The pace was honest enough and he [Manny Franco] – after leaving with good intent to get the pace going – was able to guide him back towards the rear and towards the fence and covered up. That’s where he wants to be. He really worked out a good trip from there. That’s a couple nice stakes wins today with Manny — he’s done a great job for us,” Brown said.

The Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Crudo showed the way through splits of 23.79 seconds, 48.30 and 1:14.02 over the firm footing while stalked closely by his Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Noble Confessor and the ground-saving A Bourbon for Toby in third.

Asbury Park was settled comfortably in next-to-last in the field of seven but moved up willingly down the backstretch as Crudo led into the final turn. Crudo spun the field into the stretch run as Woodbine-based raider Hammerhead launched a furious rally up the rail but was stymied by the retreating A Bourbon for Toby. Asbury Park, who tipped out late in the turn, found clear sailing and lifted late to notch the victory in a final time of 2:14.45.

Franco, the meet’s leading rider, said he was able to work out a patient trip.

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“They told me to try to be – if I can – try to be behind the speed, but as soon as we break and everybody went for position, they run away from me. I just take my time,” Franco said. “After that, I rode my race from there. I was comfortable where I was. He was traveling well. Man, going to the three-eighths pole, I had a lot of horse. I just tried to find the room, when I get the room, he explode for me.”

Noble Confessor completed the exacta by a half-length over the Brown-trained favorite Hill Road, who lugged in at the top of the lane before straightening out and closing well for third. Crudo, Hammerhead, Game Warrior and A Bourbon for Toby rounded out the order of finish.

Asbury Park, by Frankel, graduated at second asking in June at Saratoga Race Course and entered from a rallying 1 1/4-length third in the Spa’s restricted Saranac (L) on September 1.

Brown indicated Asbury Park could point to the nine-furlong Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on November 29 at Del Mar.

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“I think that makes a lot of sense,” Brown said. “He’ll have to cut back to two turns, but he had a nice kick at Saratoga going two turns. He certainly found his way going a mile and three-eighths, so we’ll see.”

Bred in Great Britain by St. Elias Stable, Asbury Park banked $275,000 in victory while improving his record to 5-2-0-1. He returned $6.96 for a $2 win bet. Asbury Park is out of the stakes-winning Street Cry mare Limonar – a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Talco. Kentucky-bred Spanish Mission is a son of Frankel’s full brother Noble Mission, who was relocated from Central Kentucky to stand in Japan.

This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Oct 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.