At 79-1, not many had given Informative a chance to win in Saturday's Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. Last after the first quarter, this son of Bodemeister seemed to have too much ground to make up on Green Light Go and Ny Traffic, but he found room on the rail to sneak through and pass Ny Traffic in the stretch to win the $150,000 G3 stakes race for 3-year-olds and older.
After a clean break, Green Light Go took a short lead on the rail, with Ny Traffic a half-length behind for the first five furlongs. On the final turn, Paco Lopez sent Ny Traffic to the lead, powering past a slowing Green Light Go. In the stretch, Ny Traffic dug in and tried to hold on to a length and half lead, but it was not enough. Jockey Jose Ferrer and Informative snuck through on the rail, flashing under the wire a length in front of Ny Traffic. Galerio and West Will Power were third and fourth, with War Stopper, Pirate's Punch, Basin, Bal Harbour, Green Light Go, and Croatian rounding out the field.
Fractions for the Salvator Mile were :23.98 for the first quarter, :47.27 for the half-mile, 1:11.55 for six furlongs, and 1:37.01 for the mile. Informative (79-1) paid $161.60, $37.80, and $15.60. Ny Traffic (4-5) paid $3.00 and $2.60. Galerio (7-1) paid $4.60 to show.
After the race, trainer Uriah St. Lewis was thrilled about Informative's longshot victory in the Salvator Mile.
“I expected this because this horse has been training so good. The last race he ran at Pimlico (second in a $35,000 optional claimer on May 15) he got blocked, checked and stopped and ran a huge number.” St. Lewis said to the Monmouth Press Office. “I said to myself 'if he can run that number again he can win – and he did.' We were not intimidated by this field. That's why we entered him. We thought he could win it. He has been close in a lot of his races and a mile (the horse was 0-for-19 at the distance) is right up his alley.
“When they went down the backside I thought I had no chance. But when we got to the top of the stretch and everything opened for him I said `our lucky day is coming.' All he had to do was finish strong and he finished strong. This feels good. I like that price $161.60 to win. Everyone is happy.”
Jockey Jose Ferrer knew what kind of horse he had under him today.
“We were in last place in the backside yes, but I saw everything happening in front of me. I had a lot of horse underneath. I've ridden horses like this before that looked like they were hopeless and they just pick it up for you.” Ferrer remarked after the race. “Everything opened up for me in the stretch. It was wide open to come through. I knew I had saved ground coming into the lane and I was thinking let's see what this horse has now. Then I saw Paco Lopez (aboard odds-on favorite Ny Traffic) drifting out and I said `man. I'm going to get him. I'm going to win this race.' The horse can't read the board so he didn't know (his odds). I've always said you don't have a chance if you stay in the jockeys' room and this is proof of that.”
Owned by Trin-Brook Stables, Informative is a 4-year-old colt by Bodemeister out of the Hard Spun mare Lucky Black. He was bred in Kentucky by Rose Hill Farm and John Trumbulovic and sold to Trin-Brook Stables by Brick City Thoroughbreds for $25,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Trip Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale. The G3 Salvator Mile is Informative's first stakes win and third win of his career in 25 starts with career winnings of $240,290.
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