Newtown Anner Stud‘s Belgian Dominates in Impressive Saratoga Debut
Belgian delivered a commanding 11-length victory in Thursday’s $100,000 maiden special weight race at Saratoga Race Course after the contest was moved from turf to the main track following a mid-afternoon downpour.
Trainer George Weaver never considered scratching the 2-year-old colt despite five of the nine entered horses withdrawing when the race switched surfaces.
“He’s handy enough on the dirt,” Weaver said. “He’s by Beau Liam. I thought he’d like a wet track.”
The decision proved prescient as Belgian handled the sloppy sealed track with ease under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano.
“The bottom line is the horse trained well enough in the dirt,” Weaver explained. “Sometimes you have them on the turf, they take it off and you know the horse can’t stand up on the dirt, and you just prefer not to try. This horse, I really liked him on the grass, but he’s worked excellent on the dirt, also.”
Belgian has impressed connections since Newtown Anner Stud purchased him for $185,000 at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds. Bred in Kentucky by Springhouse Farm, the gray colt is out of Watch Smartly by Smart Strike.
“He’s a beautiful horse,” Weaver said. “He worked great at the sale. We bought him, they shipped him to me, and he’s been nothing but a class act the whole time. We’ve liked him all along.”
Castellano followed Weaver’s pre-race strategy to perfection, showing patience from the rail position. Belgian stalked Throckmorton (Caracaro) and Augustinian (Galilean) through a quarter in :22.27 before making his move at the five-sixteenths pole.
The colt responded with a powerful burst along the rail, seizing command by the three-sixteenths pole and extending his advantage through the stretch. Belgian completed the 5½ furlongs in 1:03.68 and paid $6.60 as the 2-1 second choice.
“Very straightforward horse. I really like the way he did it,” Castellano said. “Very professional in the post parade. He showed me a lot of talent. Mentally, a very mature horse. Everything he does the right way.”
The jockey, who won two races Thursday, praised Belgian’s professionalism and finishing ability.
“I like what he did,” Castellano added. “He was very professional. Cut all the corners, saved all the ground and finished very well. Very impressed.”
Belgian becomes the sixth winner for freshman sire Beau Liam (by Liam’s Map). He is a half-brother to stakes winner Frost Wise (Frost Giant, $266,613) and shares full siblings in a Beau Liam colt of 2024 and a filly foaled this year.
Weaver indicated flexibility regarding Belgian’s next start.
“We’ll talk to the owners, and see how he comes out,” Weaver said. “I’d love to see him on the grass at some point, but he ran well enough today to throw some doubt on whether or not we should turf him or not.”
Belgian cuts the corner and dominates in R6 at Saratoga under @jjcjockey for trainer George Weaver! 💪 pic.twitter.com/A4ciT1bcdi
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires)
Belgian cuts the corner and dominates in R6 at Saratoga under August 14, 2025
