These two days of Saratoga racing had a little bit of everything -- impressive rallies, gate-to-wire victories, Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen, John Velazquez -- and there's no denying that at least a couple of these young horses have very bright futures.
August 16th
Race 3: Maiden Special Weight
5-1/2 furlongs for 2yos
Steven Asmussen had the favorite in Show Some Magic, runner-up to Saratoga Special Stakes (gr. II) winner Spurious Precision in a maiden special weight here at Saratoga on July 21st. Thus, Show Some Magic was sent off as the odds-on favorite in this spot, and he did not disappoint -- although the margin of victory was not as large as one might have expected. With Julien Leparoux aboard, the son of Any Given Saturday got off to an excellent start and went straight to the lead, setting fractions of :21.91 and :45.28 while dueling with Lincoln Law for the early lead. Entering the homestretch, Show Some Magic disposed of his rival, but was quickly confronted by the late-running Gombey Dancer, who made a strong run in the four-path to reach contention in early stretch. The two colts put on quite a show, with little more than a half-length separating them from the eighth pole home, but Show Some Magic never relinquished the advantage and held on to win in good fashion. The final time was a strong 1:04.05. Midnite Poppa put in a good rally from off-the-pace to finish a non-threatening third. Lincoln Law tired badly after his early exertions and trailed the field home.
Race 6: Maiden Claiming
6 furlongs for New York-bred 2yos
Stoneless was favored with Joel Rosario aboard, and after the Bruce Levine-trainee managed to get away with a slow half-mile in :47.01 seconds, there was no doubt that the son of Bustin Stones would win his debut in gate-to-wire fashion. The only question was the margin of victory and the time -- 4 3/4 lengths and 1:12.66, for the record. No Nukes tracked the winner all the way around the racetrack, but was, understandably, unable to make up any ground in the homestretch. Jerek Deter put in a good run from off-the-pace to finish third, and given the slow pace, could be one to watch in the future.
August 17th
Race 1: Maiden Special Weight
5-1/2 furlongs for 2yo fillies
When trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez team up, you'd better watch out. Their latest winner together is Unabashed, a daughter of Elusive Quality that gave the impression of being a very fine filly indeed when winning this race. Although not particularly quick into stride, she did recover well to race in fifth position early on as Merry Meadow and Switcheroo dueled through an opening quarter in :22.06. Rounding the turn, she made her bid for the lead, shifting to the outside for racing room and accelerating in eye-catching fashion. From there, the race was hers, and she coasted home under a strong hand ride to win by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:04.08. Ruby Lips finished up with a good run from last to secure second place, but was never a threat to the winner. Merry Meadow tired badly in the homestretch but did hold on to third.
Race 7: Maiden Special Weight
5-1/2 furlongs on turf for New York-bred 2yo fillies
Favorites have been winning many of these juvenile races, and Heading to Toga kept that standard going while winning this race as the 2.20-1 favorite. With Ramon Dominguez riding for trainer Dominick Schettino, Heading to Toga got off to a good start and blitzed through an opening quarter mile of :21.86 seconds while being tracked by Watch Your Biz. After three-eighths of a mile, Watch Your Biz retreated, leaving Heading to Toga with a sizable advantage entering the homestretch. Despite the fast pace, Heading to Toga kept on going, passing the eighth pole with a 4 1/2-length advantage before easing up across the finish line five lengths in front while stopping the clock in 1:03.54 seconds. Rosalie's Pleasure finished well to secure second by a clear margin, while A Prettydixie finished third after spending much of the race in that position. Watch Your Biz tired badly and finished last.
-Keelerman
No comments:
Post a Comment