Orchid

Honey Ryder earned her second straight win (Gary I. Rothstein/Equi-Photo)

Glencrest Farm LLC’s HONEY RYDER (Lasting Approval) ran in fourth along the
rail for much of Saturday’s $150,000
Orchid H.
(G2) at Gulfstream Park before slipping to the outside and going on to score
by a half-length in the 1 1/2-mile marathon. With John Velazquez in the saddle,
the four-year-old filly was sent off the 2-1 second favorite in the six-horse
field and paid out $6.60, $4.20 and $3.

Snowdrops (GB) (Gulch) moved up to set the pace at the start of the firm
grassy event, but found Pretty Jane (Subordination) challenging for
front-running duties. It was the latter who eventually gained the lead along the
rail, setting splits of :50 4/5, 1:15 3/5, 1:39 3/5 and 2:03 2/5 as her jockey,
Manoel Cruz, tried to slow down the race. Snowdrops was never far back while
running to the outside of Pretty Jane, but began to fade as the field reached
the stretch. It appeared as though Pretty Jane might steal it all, but Velazquez
sent Honey Ryder to her outside and from there the pair just had to hold off the
fast-closing Ellieonthemarch (Old Trieste), who took second by 1 1/4 lengths
over Pretty Jane.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Honey Ryder stopped the clock in 2:27 while keying
the $1 exotics of $32.90 (exacta), $211.30 (trifecta) and $609.70 (1-6-5-7
superfecta). Ellieonthemarch rewarded her backers with payouts of $10 and $5.80
at 12-1 while Pretty Jane returned $5.40 at 8-1. Briviesca (GB) (Peintre
Celebre), the 3-2 favorite, was another 2 3/4 lengths back in fourth and
followed by Snowdrops, Coquinerie (Sahm) and Stormin’ Daina (Storm Creek).

Honey Ryder moved her record to 16-5-1-6 with $299,830 in lifetime earnings.
She adds this score to a win in The Very One H. (G3) last out, which she won by
a neck, and a victory in last year’s Princess Mora S. Bred in Kentucky by
Wimborne Farm Inc., the gray miss brought $70,000 at the Wimborne Farm Dispersal
in 2002 and is out of Cuando Quiere (Affirmed). The 17-year-old mare is also the
dam of Grade 3 winner Cuando Puede (Lord at War [Arg]), an unraced juvenile full
brother to the Orchid winner named Gray Mountain and an unnamed yearling colt by
War Chant.