Emma’s Encore upsets Victory Ride at 39-1

Emma’s Encore was unstoppable in the Victory Ride (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Trainer Allen Jerkens lived up to his nickname of the “Giant Killer” on
Saturday when saddling Emma’s Encore to a 2 3/4-length victory in the Grade 3,
$150,000

Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park. Campaigned by Brenda Mercer and Peter
A. Berglar, the Congrats filly was sent off the 39-1 longest shot against her
five rivals, finishing six furlongs on the fast dirt in 1:08 4/5 to pay $80, $26 and $61.

“I saw her break (on the television monitor),” Jerkens said, “and then I
couldn’t find her because I didn’t have the energy to walk out here. I finally
made it. I thought I was going to pull a Walter Brennan. Remember that movie
(‘Kentucky’ released in 1938)? He died when he got to the winner’s circle.

“(Agave Kiss) just went so fast. It’s not speed favoring today, is it? A
couple of times this meet, for some reason, jockeys go head and head and I don’t
know what it is. It’s so nice to be back and win one.”

Jockey Junior Alvarado allowed Emma’s Encore to settle in the rear of the
field as 1-5 favorite Agave Kiss and Jamaican Smoke battled it out on the front
end through blistering splits of :21 2/5 and :44. The unbeaten Agave Kiss showed
signs of trouble entering the turn and quickly fell back in the lane as Jamaican
Smoke took command with Tu Endie Wei keeping in close attendance.

An 83-year-old Allen Jerkens celebrated Emma’s Encore win in the Victory Ride with rider Junior Alvarado (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

“I was being optimistic when I picked this race,” Jerkens admitted. “We’ll
probably think about the (Grade 1) Prioress (at Saratoga on August 4). We’ve had
a little luck in the (Grade 1) Test Stakes (on August 25 at Saratoga), too. It’s
so nice to win one. We hadn’t been doing any good at all lately, so this really
helps a lot.”

“I was so confident in the filly,” Alvarado stated. “(Chief) said ‘There’s
going to be a lot of speed in the race.’ She broke really good, really sharp and
got herself comfortable. By the five-sixteenths pole, she started to pick it up
and I said to myself, ‘Wow, they’re going to have to be running today for her to
get beat’ because she picked it up right away and gave me a nice, good kick.”

Jamaican Smoke got her neck in front of Tu Endie Wei on the wire to take
second, and it was another 7 1/2 lengths back to Sea Island. Agave Kiss was two
lengths behind in fifth, while Gypsy Robin completed the field in last.

“We made the lead but got pressed a lot harder than I wanted, but turning for
home she just seemed like she wasn’t herself today,” said Ramon Dominguez, who
had piloting duties aboard Agave Kiss. “She was pretty energetic, even galloping
out, but I’m sure the fractions weren’t helpful at all.”

Emma’s Encore was routed in her only prior stakes attempt, finishing a
well-beaten last of eight in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in late March.
That 1 1/8-mile contest was the dark bay filly’s only try past seven furlongs,
and Jerkens cut her back to seven-eighths for her next start, an optional
claimer at Belmont Park. The sophomore lass did better while reverting in
distance to be second in that May 16 event, and, by conquering the Victory Ride,
improved her career mark to 9-3-1-1, $162,958.