AMO Racing USA's New York Thunder broke sharply to the lead in Friday's $200,000 Amsterdam (G2) at Saratoga and was never threatened, winning the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomores by 7 1/2-lengths and earning a lifetime high Beyer Speed Figure of 110 under jockey Tyler Gaffalione.
Trained by Jorge Delgado, New York Thunder entered with a perfect 3-for-3 lifetime record, including the six-furlong Woodstock Stakes over Tapeta at Woodbine Racetrack in April in his start prior to the Amsterdam, which followed wins in a turf allowance and synthetic track maiden sprints over the winter at Gulfstream Park.
Leading up to the Amsterdam, the bay Nyquist colt strung together multiple impressive workouts at Monmouth Park, including two half-mile bullet breezes in June and an eye-popping :46.40 work on May 27. There was still a major question mark of the 3-year-old having never raced on dirt, but Delgado said Gaffalione believed in New York Thunder's speed.
“[Gaffalione] came immediately with a description of every horse in the (Amsterdam), and I told him, 'You got this, just go, I have full confidence in you,' ” said Delgado. “Every time I looked at the race, I looked at it a different way. I thought maybe the one [Drew's Gold] goes, maybe Ryvit goes, maybe we sit behind them, but I left it in Tyler's hands and his plan worked out perfectly.”
Ryvit stumbled out of the gate from post 5 as New York Thunder broke alertly from the outermost post 6 and set blazing fractions of :21.48 and :43.56 over the fast main track.
Gaffalione successfully mounted a three-length lead by the stretch, shaking odds-on favorite Drew's Gold from his side around the half-mile pole. New York Thunder's lead widened under little urging, and he finished in a final time of 1:14.65.
New York Thunder's six-furlong split in the Amsterdam of 1:07.77 is faster than Saratoga's six-furlong track record of 1:07.92 set by Imperial Hint in the 2019 Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1), and the colt's geared down final time was not far off of Quality Road's track record of 1:13.74 set in the 2009 Amsterdam.
Delgado said New York Thunder returned to Monmouth Park from the victory in good order.
“He came back to the barn in good shape, happy and proud. As fast as he is, you can see in the races that he's a very, very quiet horse,” Delgado said. “He doesn't even move. He's just chilling in his stall, enjoying the days off.”
Delgado will resume New York Thunder's training shortly, pointing him toward the seven-furlong, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) on August 26.
“If everything goes right and everything keeps normal, that race is highly possible. That is my, 'Plan A,'” Delgado said, also admitting that thoughts of a possible start in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) down the line have started to creep into his mind after the impressive victory.
New York Thunder was purchased from the Threave Main Stud consignment for $130,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Bred in Kentucky by Gatewood Bell and Forgotten Land, New York Thunder is out of the Midshipman mare Start Over, who is a half sister to graded stakes-placed Degree of Risk. His third dam, Surf Club, produced 2012 Grade 1 Forego winner Emcee.
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