US Triumph for Samitar

Winner of the Irish Thousand Guineas earlier in the year, Samitar (3f Rock of Gibraltar x Aileen’s Gift, by Rainbow Quest) produced her best form at Belmont on the weekend to capture the Grade I Garden City Stakes. Having her first run for new trainer Chad Brown, Samitar did best in a thrilling finish to win the 1 1/8th mile contest by a head, her overall record now four wins and five placings from 12 starts with prizemoney in excess of $850,000. “She had been training great and blended into our program nicely,” said Brown. “She came to me in good shape to begin with. I was happy to see her get the 1 1/8th mile . That was my one reservation, watching her train and in her races. She ahs the quality to do it, but I needed to see it, and I saw it today which is great.” One of nine Group I winners for Rock of Gibraltar, Samitar is a half-sister to Nijoom Dubai and is from the Rainbow Quest mare Aileen’s Gift, a half-sister to the dam of Group II winner Shaweel.