Gianni Lambo Leads Home Coolmore-Sired Trifecta at Belmont

It was an impressive Coolmore-sired trifecta on Thursday when Gianni Lambo (2c American Pharoah x Runway Doll, by Majestic Warrior) won a Belmont Park Maiden Special Weight over Classic Empire’s debuter Empire Ridge.

Racing over six furlongs on the inner turf course, the pair proved to be the standouts from the start when they raced 1-2 around the course with the rest of the field over three lengths behind them.

Leading the procession, Gianni Lambo handled the pressure Empire Ridge put on him like a professional and started to pull away under Irad Ortiz Jr. with more than a quarter left to run. Ortiz kept him focused on his task in the stretch for a 2 ½ length victory with Empire Ridge followed home by No Nay Never’s Emboite.

Bred by DS Stable, Gianni Lambo is trained by Todd Pletcher for Palio Stables.

The colt is the first out of winner Runway Doll, who is a half-sister to stakes winner Song Warrior and to the dam of graded stakes winners Conquest Panthera and Happy Like a Fool in addition to two other stakes horses.

Gianni Lambo’s granddam is a half-sister to Grade I winners Nine Keys and Silver Voice and to the dam of Uncle Mo’s stakes winner King For a Day and granddam of dual Grade I winner Mind Control.

Runway Doll had a Justify colt last year and an Uncle Mo colt this year.