Pretension took over the lead in early stretch and held off a late charge from Swag Daddy to win Aqueduct's $75,000 Sweet Envoy Stakes in sharp fashion.
Sent off as the 7-2 second choice in the one-mile and seventy-yard event, Pretension settled into the third position on the outside as Summer Breezing and Sportswriter set a moderate pace of :23.84 and :48.67. Coalition was tucked in along the rail in fourth, followed by the 3-4 favorite Swag Daddy in fifth. Melvindale, Brass Note, and Thor's Mjolnor trailed early.
Rounding the far turn, Summer Breezing began to drop back as Pretension loomed into contention on the outside. Swag Daddy only three lengths off the lead in fifth, but wasn't turning in his usual stretch kick.
In the homestretch, Pretension moved past Sportswriter to take the lead and began to briefly draw clear. Swag Daddy had finally found his best stride on the far outside, but it was too late. Pretension hit the wire first by a length and a quarter in the good time of 1:43.87.
Sportswriter held third over Coalition. The winner is trained by Christopher Grover and was ridden to victory by Javier Santiago. A son of Bluegrass Cat, Pretension is owned by Kidwells Petite Stable and could be a threat in the Gotham Stakes (gr. III) next month if his connections choose to send him in that direction.
-Keelerman
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