NEW YORK — A horse bred and owned by Queen Elizabeth II won the $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational by a length.
Sent off as the 9-5 favorite, Call To Mind ran two miles on a firm turf course in 3:16.78, setting a track record at Belmont Park on Friday.
The old mark of 3:17.89 was set by Da Big Hoss in the 2016 edition of the Grade 2 race.
Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano wore the queen’s purple and scarlet silks aboard her first starter at Belmont Park since October 2012.
Call To Mind paid $5.60 to win in his North American debut. The 4-year-old horse earned $220,000 for the victory, more than doubling his career bankroll to $359,538, with three wins in nine starts.
John Warren, the queen’s racing manager, says his boss “gets so much pleasure out of this.”