Baby J matures in Victory Ride
Paul P. Pompa Jr.’s Baby J pulled off the upset as the 10-1 longest shot on
the board for her first stakes victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $147,000
Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont and paid $23, $7.70 and $3 to her supporters.
The three-year-old filly was hustled from the start and went right to the
lead. She was under some early pressure from eventual second-place finisher
Bridgehampton while posting a swift opening quarter in :22.
Bridgehampton took over the pace by running a half-mile in :45, gaining a
half-length advantage, but Baby J stayed within striking distance on the inside.
Baby J and Bridgehampton bumped at the three-sixteenths, forcing the former to pause
briefly and angle to the outside of the leader. Baby J would not be denied as
she regained the lead in the final strides to prevail by three parts of a
length.
“In my head, I thought maybe she would come back, and I kept her busy and
rode her,” jockey Joel Rosario said. “Today, after the horse came over a little
on me, I put her on the outside and she came back again. It was impressive.”
The three-year-old filly crossed the wire in 1:10 4/5 for the six-furlong
contest over the fast main track.
Bridgehampton had to settle for second, while 7-5 favorite Fusaichiswonderful
was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third. Teen Pauline and I’m Mom’s Favorite
rounded out the order of finish. Lighthouse Bay, Native One and multiple Grade 2
scorer Kauai Katie were all scratched from the race.
Baby J broke her maiden at first asking over this track back in June 2012. She placed third in the Schulyerville at Saratoga the
following month, came in second to Kauai Katie in the Matron back at Belmont on
September 30 and closed out her two-year-old campaign with a disappointing
fifth-place finish in the Smart Halo Stakes at Laurel Park.
Baby J did not make her first start as a three-year-old until last month,
where she went gate-to-wire in an optional claiming race in her first start
since being transferred to Pat Reynolds from the suspended Richard Dutrow. She
was exiting a third-place finish in an optional claimer just over two weeks ago.
Reynolds said the Grade 1, $500,000 Test on August 24 at Saratoga
would be under consideration for Baby J’s next start.
“She’s very game,” Reynolds said. “She’s a free-running type of filly, and it
worked out. We’re going to kick around (the Test). She’ll probably need a little
time off, but she’ll be tough on a speed track up there wherever we elect to go
with her.”
Bred in Kentucky by Mrs. O. M. Patrick, the daughter of J Be K is out of the
Rubiano mare Lavender Baby, which makes her a half-sister to Grade 1-placed
Laureate Conductor. Her third dam is Grade 3-placed stakes winner Hot Milk, who produced Grade
3 scorer Hot Brush.
Baby J was sold as a yearling for $37,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale. She RNA’d
for $65,000 as a two-year-old at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale.
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