Phyllis Wyeth knew she would never regret going back to buy Saturday’s G1 Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags.

Wyeth had bred Union Rags and sold him for $145,000 at the Saratoga Yearling Sale in August 2010.  But after reconsidering that decision, she bought him back for $390,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida 2YO Sale in February 2011.

The 71 year-old Kentucky breeder was down $245,000 on the deal but not for long.

Union Rags is trained by Michael Matz and he won on debut at Delaware Park before travelling to New York to add the G2 Saratoga Special and G1 Champagne Stakes.  He was beaten a head by Hansen in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile but still wintered as pre-post favourite for the Kentucky Derby.

Union Rags (3c Dixie Union – Tempo by Gone West) resumed this year with a four length victory in the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes.  He followed up with an unlucky third in the G1 Florida Derby and encountered further traffic problems when seventh in the Kentucky Derby.

A change of jockey brought about a change of luck in the Belmont Stakes (2400m).  Under replacement rider John Velazquez, he settled midfield and railed up to defeat Paynter by a neck.

“It was my dream and it came true,” Wyeth said.  “I knew he could do it.”

Union Rags is by former Lane’s End Farm sire Dixie Union (Dixieland Band) who died in July 2010.  His dam Tempo is from a daughter of 1966 English 1000 Guineas winner Glad Rags.

Glad Rags (High Hat) is also the third dam of former NZ shuttler Stark South (Dixieland Band).  The best of his Kiwi bred progeny was 2000 NZ Derby winner Hail.  He also claimed the 2002 Sandown Classic in one of several trips across the Tasman.

Union Rags