Unbeaten 1-2 favorite Almostgone Rocket was long gone in the stretch of Thursday’s $145,500 Jersey Girl S., one of a trio of dirt stakes on opening day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga.
Jersey Girl S.
Trained by Brad Cox for Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and Ten Strike Racing, Almostgone Rocket had scored big-margin wins in her first two starts. The Into Mischief filly debuted with an 11 3/4-length rout at Oaklawn Park April 5, followed by a 4 1/4-length allowance conquest on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs. She was just as convincing on the step up in class for the Jersey Girl.
Under Flavien Prat, Almostgone Rocket was traveling ominously well as she attended speedball Gray Lightning through an opening quarter in :22.28. Manama Gold, last seen landing the about 1 3/16-mile UAE Oaks (G3) at Meydan, stumbled in the initial strides but recovered well to stalk in third.
Almostgone Rocket took charge before reaching the half in :44.72. As Gray Lightning couldn’t maintain her position, Manama Gold was the only rival in with a brief chance. But she was already being asked leaving the far turn, and lacked the pace to contend with Almostgone Rocket.
The favorite extended her margin to six lengths, and her record to a perfect 3-for-3, while covering six furlongs in 1:09.52.
“She broke a little bit out of the gate,” Prat said, “but she got herself forwardly placed. I was traveling well all the way around and when it was time to make her move, she did. When I squeezed on her she responded really well. I knew it was going to take a good horse to run me down, and it didn’t happen.”
Manama Gold, who had been undefeated in Dubai, soldiered on as the second-best. This was the kind of stateside debut that the repatriated Louisiana-bred can build upon for Todd Pletcher, presumably on the stretch-out next time.
“Man, I didn’t think she was going to show that much speed,” jockey John Velazquez said of Manama Gold. “She was closer than I thought. I thought she ran very well. Especially since I’ve watched all her races and I didn’t think she was going to be that close… She may be a horse who needs a little more distance anyways.”
Gray Lightning checked in a further three lengths back in third. Comebacker Becky’s Joker was fourth at every call, and Dorothy’s Dreams trailed throughout after a terrible stumble out of the gate. Carmelina, Roman Grace, and Moonlit Lady were scratched.
Almostgone Rocket has bankrolled $224,460. The $250,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase is more valuable now, with the prospect of Grade 1 black type adding even more to her future broodmare portfolio.
Cox confirmed that the Aug. 3 Test (G1) is on her agenda.
“She was actually a two-year-old-in-training and she was a horse who worked so well, they were thinking about pinhooking her, but the ownership decided to keep her, and I think it’s going to pay off well for them,” Cox said. “It was late summer (last year), and she was very close to running to make her debut, but she had a minor setback and we had to take our time and the ownership did right by her. She’s rewarded us in a big way.”
Bred by Malibu Farm in Kentucky, Almostgone Rocket was produced by the multiple stakes-winning Jump Start mare Bound.
Tremont S.
The other dirt stakes were for juveniles, beginning with $150,000 Tremont S. Bettors expected a son of Nyquist to win, sending off Wesley Ward firster Touchy as the 0.85-1 choice. But it was the overlooked Nyquist colt, the 13.90-1 Studlydoright, who rolled late to spring the $29.80 upset.
Although the Jerry Robb pupil didn’t get a sloppy track as he did in his victorious debut at Laurel, Studlydoright enjoyed the fast pace to set up a similar closing kick. Touchy showed the trademark speed of a Ward two-year-old through fractions of :22.11 and :45.28, then looked vulnerable when racing well out wide down the lane.
The chasing Three Echoes loomed a threat just by staying on resolutely in his path. Touchy was steered back toward Three Echoes to keep his competitive spirits up. In the process, Touchy overcorrected and tightened up Three Echoes on the inside.
By that point, Studlydoright, who had been far back in fifth early, was in high gear for Xavier Perez. Sweeping past Touchy by 1 3/4 lengths, Studlydoright clocked 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.22.
“It set up exactly like I thought it would,” Robb said. “I just told (Perez) to save ground and wait to make a late run. I was hoping he was going to be third, and he jumped up and won.”
“Everything happened like Jerry said it was going to happen,” Perez corroborated. “The speed went and I just sat behind them and just saved all the ground like Jerry told me. When I started asking him at the five-sixteenths, he started picking up gradually.
“I saw Wesley Ward’s horse (Touchy) in the stretch going everywhere and when I took my horse to the outside, he just gave me everything, just like he did the first time he ran. He was more mature this time. Today, he was focused. When he was in the gate, he was a little racy, but when he settled, I was really confident that we were going to get the job done.”
Touchy crossed the wire a half-length up on Three Echoes. The stewards conducted an inquiry into Touchy’s waywardness before allowing the result to stand. There was a 5 1/4-length gap back to Classic of Course, followed by Brereton’s Baytown, Dew, Dominican Thunder, and the tailed-off Shoot the Nickel.
Studlydoright, now 2-for-2, has earned $114,930 for owner David Hughes. The Maryland-bred is out of Grade 3-placed stakes victress Peach of a Gal, by Curlin.
Astoria S.
Ward’s Long Neck Paula was a significant scratch from the companion stakes for fillies, the $150,000 Astoria S. According to Daily Racing Form and Thoroughbred Daily News, the 2-1 morning line favorite was scratched by the stewards because she had left the track Wednesday without permission. Ward said he did not realize he had to seek permission to take the filly out for a routine cold water spa.
In Long Neck Paula’s absence, Whatintheliteral broke her maiden in her third try for Jena Antonucci. Then the 13.50-1 shot survived a stewards’ inquiry to keep her hard-won decision over Aoraki.
In her prior appearances at Keeneland, Whatintheliteral finished fifth on debut behind the re-opposing The Queens M G and West Memorial. She improved to third last time, but took a bigger step forward here.
Whatintheliteral was also surprising in her tactics. The daughter of Lord Nelson hadn’t been on the lead before. Drawn on the rail at the Spa, she went straight to the front with regular rider Javier Castellano. Aoraki hounded her through splits of :22.16 and :45.79, and all the way to the wire. Whatintheliteral bravely withstood her sustained challenge by a head, covering 5 1/2 furlongs in in 1:05.06.
While the fillies appeared to brush in their stretch duel, the stewards decided that the contact was not consequential to the result.
“I was surprised and disappointed the stewards put up an objection (inquiry) because it was pretty obvious Joel (Rosario aboard Aoraki) came over on his filly and bumped my horse and I just tried to protect myself,” Castellano said. “I switched my stick and protected my path and didn’t let him intimidate my horse. No matter what, it wasn’t going to change the race. My horse was the best horse in the race.”
Rosario didn’t think it warranted a change either.
“I mean we were in close, a little tight,” Rosario said, “but we were just fighting. It was nothing out of line.”
French Horn closed the gap late in third. The rest—Baytown Butterfly, West Memorial, Biscuitwitheboss, and 2.10-1 favorite The Queens M G—failed to factor. Baytown Cleopatra was withdrawn along with Long Neck Paula.
Owned by HorseOlogy Racing and Craig Reinhart, Whatintheliteral paid $29 while advancing her scorecard to 3-1-0-1, $89,029. The Florida-bred is out of the Freud mare Lilikoi.
