Tag: Racing

Yaupon Stays Unbeaten With Snappy Amsterdam Victory

Yaupon answered another challenge thrown his way, improving to 3-for-3 in his career by wiring a six-horse field by two lengths in his stakes debut in the 28th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam for sophomores on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Yaupon was unraced as a juvenile but won his debut by a nose going six furlongs on June 20 at Churchill Downs. The Uncle Mo colt proved he could ship well in his last start, a 3 3/4-length allowance win at Saratoga on July 18, before handling the step up in class on Saturday.

Breaking well from post 2 under jockey Joel Rosario, Yaupon was sent to the front, where he registered the opening quarter-mile in 21.93 seconds and the half in 44.68 over a muddy and sealed main track after earlier rainfall.

Out of the turn, Rosario kept Yaupon focused for the stretch run, repelling any potential challenge from runner-up Basin, completing six furlongs in 1:08.50.

“He's extremely fast. He's got an elite amount of speed,” Asmussen said. “It's very important that a horse with his physical [gifts], and as fast as he is, is a graded stakes winner here at Saratoga. I think we can sit down and map out a serious future for him from here.”

Owned by L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Yaupon rewarded his 7-5 favoritism, returning $4.80 on a $2 win wager.

“He broke out of there well. I was trying to get a forward position and he put himself on the lead,” said Rosario, who notched his third win on the card. “He went on well. He's a very talented horse. He had no problem [with the surface].”

Yaupon, purchased for $255,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sale, won on an off track for the first time. He nearly doubled his career earnings to $168,264.

“He had very minor issues, but it was just the physics of it when you're capable of going that fast,” Asmussen said. “We wanted to give him all the maturity we could. We were trying to follow a similar plan with him as we were with Mitole for the Heiligbrodts. They had expected to run him over the winter at the Fair Grounds, but he had another minor issue, so we erred on the side of caution as far as waiting and letting him get to 100 percent.”

Basin, making his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher, finished two lengths in front of Premier Star for second in his first start at Saratoga since winning last year's Grade 1 Hopeful.

“The winner was very good,” Pletcher said. “We were hoping for a bit of a speed duel, but it never really developed. We were pleased with the effort though.”

Wondrwherecraigis, Long Weekend and Liam's Pride completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that features the Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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Pricey Valiance Handles Switch From Turf To Slop, Wins Eatontown At Monmouth

Valiance added another dimension to an impressive start to her career, drawing away in mid-stretch over a sloppy track to win Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the $650,000 yearling purchase entered the Eatontown with four wins from six career starts, with five of those races on the grass. She raced once on the dirt but never over a sloppy track.

“I thought she ran great,” said Pletcher. “It definitely seemed like she improved in her training on the dirt so we weren't concerned when it came off. It looks like she handled it really nicely. He (jockey Nik Juarez) rode her very confidently.”

The Eatontown Stakes, originally scheduled for a mile and a sixteenth on grass, was switched to the main track because of early morning rain.

“I wasn't worried about the sloppy track with her,” said Juarez. “I got to ride a race on the dirt with her at Gulfstream. Todd had her in a stakes race in Florida (the Powder Break Stakes on May16) and it came off the grass and she ran on the dirt that day. So I was happy she had a dirt race under her because all of her other starts have been on the grass. I was really confident today.”

Juarez was able to sit tucked in behind dueling leaders Valedictorian and Gotham Gala in the reduced field of five through fractions of :23.85 to the opening quarter, :47.68 to the half mile and 1:12.60 to six furlongs.

Midway through the final turn he nudged Valiance to the outside and she immediately drew even with Gotham Gala, with Valedictorian starting to retreat. Gotham Gala tried gamely to stay with Valiance, but Juarez had plenty in reserve, winning by a widening 1 1/2 lengths. It was another 15 1/4 lengths back in third to Valedictorian.

Final time for the mile and a sixteenth was 1:44.25.

“We had a perfect trip, sitting right behind the speed,” said Juarez. “When we turned for home I was able to tip her out and she was much the best. She just ran away from them. I knew Valedictorian would go out for the lead. So I just wanted to wait with her and let her settle and we were able to do just that.”

Valiance, a daughter of Tapit, paid $3.80 to win as the favorite. The 4-year-old filly, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Martin Schwartz and CHC Inc., started her career 3-for-3 as a 3-year-old, with two of those victories on the turf at Monmouth Park. She is now 5-for-7 lifetime.

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Longshot Bye Bye Melvin Snares Saranac With Late Rally On Soggy Saratoga Turf

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez angled Bye Bye Melvin out in the stretch and piloted his charge through a thrilling stretch run that saw him overtake three rivals, including pacesetter Don Juan Kitten in the final jumps, for a rallying win by a head as the longest shot on the board in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Saranac for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Off at 19-1, Bye Bye Melvin tracked in second position as 2-1 favorite Don Juan Kitten led the eight-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 27.17 seconds on the soft Mellon turf course that was pelted by rain.

Velazquez guided Bye Bye Melvin through a ground-saving trip, which he capitalized on out of the final turn by tipping him out and having him pick off a pair of rivals before running down the Danny Gargan-trained Don Juan Kitten just before the wire, completing the one-mile course in 1:39.92.

The 113th running of the Saranac, originally carded for the inner turf course, marked the first stakes win for Bye Bye Melvin, a Graham Motion trainee whose previous best effort came in a runner-up effort to Vannzy in the Jersey Derby on July 26 at Monmouth Park.

“It's very soft and heavy out there,” Velazquez said. “Even though they rolled it, it feels like you're going very deep in the ground. We were running right on top of the rain, so it's deep and slick at the same time, but he came running anyway.

“The first part, I came out running just to get a position going into the first turn,” Velazquez added. “He did not want to go anywhere. I grabbed him until he got more comfortable. He was lugging in down the stretch and I had to get after him, and he was slipping and sliding but he was good enough to get there. He was trying as hard as he could, but at the same time he was slipping. But he got there anyways.”

Owned and bred by Alex G. Campbell, Jr., Bye Bye Melvin improved to 3-1-1 in nine starts and has finished first or second four times in his last six starts. The Uncle Mo colt is out of Dynaformer mare Karlovy Vary and is a half-brother to the Motion-trained three-time graded stakes-winner Mean Mary, who ran second by a neck to Rushing Fall in last week's Grade 1 Diana. Bye Bye Melvin impressed his conditioner with his effort in the inclement weather.

“He's a late developer,” Motion said. “He's been a little bit of a project in that way, but I'm not surprised with the way he ran He slugs it out and he obviously handled the soft turf better than most.”

Motion said the addition of blinkers was beneficial.

“My team at home [Fair Hill] thought it might help him focus a little bit, so I give credit to my assistant Cat McGee and Skylar McKenna, who gallops him every day,” Motion said. “He's not easy in the morning and I give them a lot of credit for how he ran today.”

Bye Bye Melvin returned $41 on a $2 win bet. He more than doubled his career earnings to $107,965.

Don Juan Kitten, ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, finished 2 ½ lengths in front of Bodecream for second, marking his best stakes performance in three attempts.

“I had everything my way. The horse ran his heart out,” Carmouche said. “With different circumstances and a bit of a firmer turf course, I think it could have made the difference for us. But the horse ran well, we went into the race good and the horse gave us 100 percent. That's all we can ask for.

“He was running on “E” by the time he [Bye Bye Melvin] got there from running over that soft turf course, the only reason the winner beat us is because he had a good gallop,” he added.

Embolden, Irish Mias, Three Technique, L'Imperator and Vanzzy completed the order of finish. Big Dreaming and Turn of Events scratched, as did main-track only entrant Ima Pharoah.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card that features the Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:10 p.m.

 

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