New York-Breds at the Races: July 29 to August 3

By Bill Heller

Goodtolook is a Stunning Winner at 34-1 Monday Junior Alvarado hustled Antonacci Racing and Corms Racing Stable’s five-year-old gelding Goodtolook to the lead and the 34-1 longshot never looked back, winning a $78,000 New York- bred allowance race on the grass at Saratoga Monday afternoon by two lengths. He covered the mile and a sixteenth in a quick 1:40.25. Runaway Posse, the 9-5 favorite under , rallied strongly to finish a clear second. Iced Over was third at 13-1 and 9-2 Powerful Instinct checked in fourth. Danny Gargan trains Goodtolook, a son of Disco Rico out of Lookstogood by Tiger Ridge who was bred by Luca Carroll. Goodtolook had finished a front-running third at 4-1 odds in his last turf start two races before Monday, then was seventh on dirt as the 9-5 favorite. He went off a huge longshot Monday. Alvarado sent Goodtolook right to the front and he opened and maintained a two-length lead through a quarter in :22.89 and a half-mile in :46.31. He then opened up on the field, leading by seven lengths through three-quarters in 1:09.73. Runaway Posse, who had rallied from far back, tried to reel him in but couldn’t. Goodtolook is now two for six on turf with one second and one third. He also has five wins, one second and two thirds from 21 dirt starts, for total earnings of more than $260,000. ************************************************** Rallying boldly on the far outside under Irad Ortiz, Jr., Michael Dubb’s first-time starter Celestial Sighting surged past Somerset Sandy, another firster ridden by John Velazquez, in deep stretch to win a $73,000 New York-bred maiden special weight for two-year-old New York-bred fillies on the grass Monday by one length. He covered the 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.32. Celestial Sighting was the 5-2 second choice and Somerset Sandy was the 8-5 favorite in the field of 10, which included nine first-time starters. Rudy Rodriguez trains Celestial Sighting, a daughter of Eskendereya out of Afternoon Stroll by Stroll who was bred by Taylor Brothers Properties and Baysore Stables and was purchased for $75,000 at the 2014 September Keeneland Yearling Sale. Ortiz let Celestial Sighting settle in sixth early behind a hot pace. Rescue Cat, an 8-1 shot, and 9-1 Out of Nowhere battled through a rapid :21.42 first quarter. Somerset Sandy went after the front-runners around the far turn and into the top stretch while Celestial Sighting zoomed into contention on the far outside after a testing half-mile in :44.90. Somerset Sandy cleared the lead in mid-stretch but couldn’t handle Celestial Sighting, who rallied past her late. Miss Kew, who was sent off at odds of 7-1 under Javier Castellano, finished third, a length and a half behind Somerset Sandy while nearly two lengths clear of 9-1 Alyssa and a Lisa in fourth. ************************************************** Blazing to the lead from the rail under John Velazquez, Newtown Anner Stud’s three-year-old gray gelding Euros to Dollars won his dirt debut wire-to-wire by two lengths as the 7-5 favorite in a field of seven in a $73,000 New York-bred maiden special weight. He completed the six- furlong distance in 1:10.75. Dettifloss, who made a wide, sweeping rally around the far turn under Rafael Hernandez at 13-1 odds, edged 9-2 Lead by Example by a half-length for second. Scorecard Harry finished fourth, another half-length behind, at 7-2 odds. Brian Lynch trains Euros to Dollars, a son of Exchange Rate out of Miss Bodine by Vindication who was bred by Andy Beadnell and sold for $100,000 as a yearling in August 2013. Euros to Dollars had a rough debut on grass at on June 26th when he was bumped hard at the break and raced three-wide, finishing ninth in the field of 10 at 11-1 odds. After the debut, Euros to Dollars worked three times on dirt, one of them a five-furlong bullet in 1:00 3/5 on July 17th at Belmont, fastest of 16 that day. He followed that with a solid four-furlong work at Saratoga in :48 3/5 on July 25th, 33rd fastest of 109 that morning. Euros to Dollars broke fourth Monday, but quickly advanced inside 7-2 My Tommy Boy to take the early lead. Euros to Dollars led by a length after a :22.56 first quarter-mile, but My Tommy Boy took a head lead after a half-mile in :46.20. Euros to Dollar had plenty left, though, and won comfortably. ************************************************** Withstanding severe pressure throughout the race, Curragh Stables’ four-year-old New York- bred filly Cryptic Comet gamely held off fast-finishing Enduring Touch, a three-year-old New York-bred filly ridden by apprentice Eric Cancel, by a half-length under Angel Cruz to win a six- furlong $32,000 conditional $16,000 claimer in a final time of 1:12.23. John Terranova trains both Cryptic Comet, who went off at 10-1 odds, and Enduring Touch, who was sent off at 12-1 under apprentice Eric Cancel in the field of eight. Cryptic Comet is a daughter of Greeley’s Galaxy out of High Falutin Gal by Silver Deputy who was bred by EKQ Stable and Patrick Meskell, and sold for $35,000 as a two-year-old in April 2013. Cryptic Comet was switching back to dirt and dropping off a 10th-place finish in an open $40,000 claimer. Cryptic Comet had to work a bit to make the early lead, pressed by 5-1 Nejma. Underthemoonlight, the 3-5 New York-bred favorite ridden by Javier Castellano, and 7-1 Samus raced in third and fourth as Cryptic Comet took the field to a :22.50 opening quarter with a length-and-a-half lead. Heading into the far turn, Nejma moved up two-wide, Underthemoonlight rallied three-wide and Samus was four-wide. At the top of the stretch, after a half-mile in :45.84, the four horses were stacked across the track. But instead of wilting under pressure, Cryptic Comet surged again to take a two-length lead in mid-stretch. She then held off Enduring Touch, who was flying late. Samus, who was sent off at odds of 7-1, finished third, a length and a quarter behind Enduring Touch while three-quarters of a length ahead of Nejma in fourth. Cryptic Comet improved her dirt record to two for eight with two seconds and a third. She now has career earnings topping $95,000.

So Noted Noses Giantinthemoonlite for Second Straight Win Sunday Francis Paolangeli’s three-year-old colt So Noted, who rallied up the rail under Joel Rosario, held off a gallant Giantinthemoonlite by a nose for his second consecutive victory in a $75,000 New York-bred allowance at sunny Saratoga Sunday afternoon. He covered the six and a half furlongs in 1:16.84. So Noted was sent off at odds of 7-2 and Giantinthemoonlite, who lost the lead in deep stretch and came again under Shaun Bridgmohan, went off at 9-2 odds in the field of 12. Charlie Baker trains So Noted, a son of Read the Footnotes out of French Legion by French Deputy who was bred by Tracy Egan and sold for $26,000 as a yearling in October 2013. After finishing second and third in his first two starts at six furlongs, So Noted won a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight by nearly four lengths at 4-5 odds at Belmont Park on July 12th. He followed that with a five-furlong bullet work of :59 4/5 at Saratoga on July 27th, the best of 23 horses at that distance that morning. So Noted was ninth early as 32-1 Horsens and Giantinthemoonlite battled through a fast first quarter of :21.93. Horsens held a head lead on Giantinthemoonlite after running a half-mile in a testing :45.27. By then, Rosario had sent So Noted past several horses on the rail and he continued to gain around the turn and into the top of the stretch. Giantinthemoonlite finally shook off Horsens and had the lead in mid-stretch before So Noted rallied past him on the inside to gain a neck lead. Giantinthemoonlite responded with another surge and the two battled head-to-head to the wire. The photo finish showed So Noted a nose ahead. Candid Desire, a 44-1 longshot ridden by Elvis Trujillo, finished third, three lengths behind Giantinthemoonlite, and Hunt’s Road, the 9-5 favorite ridden by John Velazquez, finished fourth. So Noted now has two wins, a second and a third from four starts, for earnings of $99,000. ************************************************** In a debut that would make his older sister proud, Patricia Generazio’s homebred grey colt Too Discreet rolled to an impressive 2 ½-length victory under Joel Rosario in his first start, taking Sunday’s opener, a 5 ½-furlong $73,000 New York-bred maiden special weight for two-year- olds on the grass. Sent off the even-money favorite in the field of eight, he won in a final time of 1:03.06. Christophe Clement trains both Too Discreet and his older sister, homebred grass superstar Discreet Marq, a Grade 1 stakes winner who has earned more than $1.2 million for Generazio. Both horses are by Discreet Cat out of To Marquet by Marquetry. Too Discreet showed his readiness for his debut with a sharp dirt work ‒ four furlongs in :48 1/5 ‒ that was sixth fastest of 75 at that distance that morning. Too Discreet broke sharply from the five post, but had to work to get past 9-2 Heated Verdict and 23-1 Fakeittilumakeit on his inside. Too Discreet surged past both of them to take the lead and hit the first quarter-mile in a snappy :21.84. Too Discreet stretched his lead to two lengths through a :45.41 half, and he stayed strong through the lane to win by himself. Heated Verdict held second, a half-length in front of 22-1 Sax Change. Leaveematthegate, who broke first from the outside post under Irad Ortiz, Jr., finished fourth, 1 ¾ lengths behind Sax Change. ************************************************** Perfectly positioned by Javier Castellano, Six String Stables’ three-year-old gelding Space Oddity ran down Bugle Blues in mid-stretch and went on to a 2 ¾-length victory in a $73,000 New York-bred maiden special weight, completing the one-mile distance in 1:35.56. Space Oddity was the 2-1 favorite and Bugle Blues, ridden on the rail by Angel Cruz, was sent off at 28-1 odds in the field of 12. Carlos Martin trains Space Oddity, a son of Cosmonaut out of Offhand Remark by Western Expression who was bred by Michael Spielman and was purchased as a weanling for a bargain $2,500 in 2012. Though he had only a third on a sloppy track to show from three dirt starts, Space Oddity had finished second in all three previous turf races. Castellano was getting on Space Oddity for the first time Sunday. Breaking from the two post, Space Oddity got away fifth as Bugle Blues and 37-1 Big Al Parker dueled on the lead through an opening quarter in :23.43 and a half-mile in :47.68. Elusive Talmo, a 14-1 shot, and 12-1 Adirondack Posse alternated in third and fourth. Bugle Blues put away Big Al Parker as Space Oddity moved into third and went after him after three-quarters in 1:11.87. Bugle Blues was game, but couldn’t hold off Space Oddity, who drew away late. Bugle Blues finished second, three lengths clear of 7-2 Talladega, who rallied well for third. Elusive Talmo finished fourth. Space Oddity now has a victory and three seconds in four turf tries, for combined earnings of more than $85,000.

Unbeaten Draft Day Wins His Second Straight Powerfully Saturday Sovereign Stable’s three-year-old colt Draft Day upped his record to two for two Saturday at Saratoga, winning the finale, a 5 ½-furlong $75,000 New York-bred grass allowance, by four lengths under Angel Cruz in a final time of 1:02.15 as the 3-1 favorite in the field of 11. Cruz kind of had a double Saturday: earlier in the afternoon, he won the jockeys’ foot race, one of the events in recognition of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, which was celebrated by every race track in North America on Saturday. John Terranova trains Draft Day, a son of Kitten’s Joy out of Collar by Candy Ride who was bred by NY Kitten Foals and sold for $65,000 as a two-year-old last year. Draft Day made his debut at Belmont Park on May 31st, winning a six-furlong maiden special weight on the grass by a length and a quarter under Cruz at 10-1 odds. Breaking from the nine post Saturday, Draft Day settled in third as 7-1 Rico Capote and 4-1 Dark Roast, who was part of an entry, dueled on the front end. Rico Capote held a narrow lead on Dark Roast through a :21.45 first quarter, but Dark Roast took over, hitting the half-mile in :44.31. By then, Draft Day was on the move and gaining. Draft Day roared past Dark Roast to win handily. Dark Roast saved second, a half-length ahead of 11-1 Pegasus Red. Banana Thief, who went off at 5-1 odds under Shaun Bridgmohan, finished fourth, a length behind Pegasus Red. Draft Day has now earned $81,000 in just two starts.

Desert Valentine Wins Again at Saratoga, Edging Bridgetta Winning Move Stable, Ed Rogers and Pines Stables’ four-year-old filly Desert Valentine wore down front-running Bridgetta in the final 100 yards to win a $50,000 New York-bred $25,000 claimer by a head Friday at Saratoga. He covered the 6 ½-furlong distance in 1:17.19. Champagne Ruby was just another neck back in third in a blanket finish. Run a Dubb Dubb finished fourth, 2 ¼ lengths behind Champagne Ruby. Desert Valentine was sent off at odds of 17-1, Bridgetta went off at 8-1, Champagne Ruby was 7-2 and Run a Dubb Dubb was 9-2 in the field of nine. Gary Contessa trains Desert Valentine, a daughter of Wild Desert out of Jo’s Sunshine by Dixie Brass who was bred by Joe Marx. Desert Valentine was sold as a yearling for $10,500 in 2012. She was claimed for $20,000 in her debut by her current connections when she won an open maiden claimer by 7 ¾ lengths at 8-1 odds on June 28th of last year. She made her next start in a New York-bred allowance race at Saratoga, and she won again by 2 ½ lengths at 4-1 odds on a muddy track. She then finished eighth in a state-bred $200,000 stakes at Saratoga and eighth in an allowance try at Belmont Park on October 9th. In her four-year-old debut at Aqueduct on April 23rd, she was an extremely wide, distant fourth. Racing on the front end for the first time on May 16th under regular rider Luis Saez, she finished sixth. Contessa freshened his filly and switched riders to Irad Ortiz, Jr. He couldn’t have ridden her any better. Breaking from the seven post under Paco Lopez, Bridgetta surged past Run a Dubb Dubb to take the early lead as What the Frost, the tepid 3-1 favorite under Javier Castellano, settled in third and Desert Valentine raced in fourth through an opening quarter in :22.57. After a half-mile in :46.01, Desert Valentine moved up to engage Bridgetta, and they battled on the lead through the stretch. Bridgetta was brave, but Desert Valentine got by her late. Desert Valentine improved her record to three for seven with earnings of nearly $100,000; quite a return for a $10,500 yearling. Albert Fried, Jr.’s Homebred Moonlight Song Wins the Sloppy Morrissey Stakes Relishing the sloppy track as he always does, Albert Fried, Jr.’s homebred eight-year-old gelding Moonlight Song captured the 12th running of the 6 ½-furlong $100,000 John Morrissey Stakes for New York-breds by a length and a quarter at sloppy Saratoga Thursday afternoon. Cleverly ridden on the front end by Jose Ortiz, who won Wednesday’s Grade 2 Honorable Miss Stakes wire-to-wire with the millionaire New York-bred mare , Moonlight Song went off the 2-1 second choice in the field of six and won in a final time of 1:17.69 for trainer Charlie Baker. John’s Island finished second at 12-1 odds, three-quarters of a length ahead of Palace, the 7-5 favorite under Cornelio Velasquez who compromised his chances by breaking poorly. Noble Cornerstone finished fourth at 3-1 odds, a length behind Palace. The downpour that began around 12:30 Thursday afternoon was severe enough to cancel Thursdays’ first race, a steeplechase, and move all the grass races to the main track, which went from fast to sloppy quickly. That didn’t bother Moonlight Song’s connections a bit. “It was good it was on an off track,” Fried said in the winner’s circle. “Charlie has done a great job with him.” Indeed. Moonlight Song finished fifth in last year’s Morrissey, then won the $150,000 Hudson Handicap by a length and a half last October 18th. He hadn’t raced since. “He’s been in training since mid-January, but he had some medical problems,” Baker said. “Al is one of the greatest owners. He never calls up and asks when is he going to run. We did the right thing with him.” Moonlight Song broke sharply from the five post and took the field through a fast opening quarter of :22.03 and a demanding half-mile in :45.29 with a two-length lead. He opened up a four-length lead in early stretch and got a bit leg-weary late, but got the job done. “He got a little tired,” Baker said. Regardless, he’d won his second straight stakes off a nine-and-a-half-month layoff while improving his record on wet tracks to a phenomenal six for seven. Overall, he’s won eight of just 17 lifetime starts with two seconds and one third, and he increased his career earnings to a tad under $475,000 with the win. “My horse broke great and he went to the lead pretty easy,” Ortiz said of Moonlight Song. “When I asked him to run by the quarter pole, he responded very well. The horse was 100 percent. The horse has to take all the credit. I was just the passenger. Charlie does a tremendous job with him. He always shows up.” Palace tried his best, but the wet track and slow start hurt him severely. “The horse next to him was acting up in the gate and he just kind of fell out of there and grabbed himself with a hind foot,” said Linda Rice, who trains Palace and La Verdad. “He tried to recover, but you can’t give that type of horse five or six lengths in the mud on an easy lead. I also don’t think Palace runs his best races in the mud, either.” Smooth Bert was pulled up during the race and was reported to have suffered a soft tissue injury to his left front leg. ************************************************** John Velazquez sent Repole Stable’s first-time-starting colt Sudden Surprise to the lead Thursday and he never had an anxious moment, wiring nine rivals by 2 ¾ lengths in a 5 ½- furlong $73,000 New York-bred maiden special weight in a final time of 1:05.14. Fish Trappe Road, who had finished fourth in his open-company debut at Churchill Downs on June 27th, chased Sudden Surprise the whole way to finish second. Sudden Surprise was sent off at odds of 9-2 and Fish Trappe Road went off at 3-1 in the field of 10. trains Sudden Surprise, a son of Giant Surprise out of Ready and Good by More Than Ready who sold for $160,000 last September at the Keeneland Yearling Sale. Ordinaire, a 23-1 shot ridden by Junior Alvarado, was a distant third, 10 ¼ lengths behind Fish Trappe Road while three-quarters of a length ahead of another Pletcher first-timer, Inside Straight, who went off the 2-1 favorite under Javier Castellano and finished fourth. Sudden Surprise broke second behind Ordinaire before quickly rushing to the lead through a :22.67 first quarter. He maintained a two-length lead through a :46.06 half-mile and was never seriously threatened. ************************************************** In a $67,000 open $50,000 claimer for three-year-old fillies switched from the turf to the sloppy main track Thursday, MeB Racing Stable and Brooklyn Boyz Stable’s gray Jules N Rome, the only New York-bred in the field of five, took the lead in early stretch under Jose Ortiz and held off La Inesperada by a half-length to win as the 2-1 favorite. She covered the mile and an eighth in 1:53.91. Dominick Schettino trains Jules N Rome, a daughter of Dunkirk out of Pretty Honoree by Double Honor who was bred by Harry Landry, Constancia Farm and Dunkirk Syndicate, and sold for $77,000 as a yearling in 2013. La Inesperada, who went off at 7-1 odds, tried going wire-to-wire under apprentice jockey Eric Cancel while 5-2 Tizsational and Jules N Rome alternated in second and third behind her. Tizsational moved first on the far turn and took a brief, narrow lead while Jules N Rome joined the battle three-wide. La Inesperada surged again on the inside to put away Tizsational, but Jules N Rome went right on by. Jules N Rome now has three victories and three seconds in seven dirt starts. She also has raced twice on turf and has total earnings topping $140,000. ************************************************** Rolling along the sloppy rail under Javier Castellano, Winning Away Stable and McConnell Racing’s three-year-old New York-bred filly Stolen Victory collared Harlans Belle, the front- running even-money favorite ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, in mid-stretch on the way to a near- three-length victory in a $32,000 conditional $16,000 claimer Thursday. Sent off at 5-1 odds in the field of six, Stolen Victory covered the mile and an eighth in 1:55.70 on the wet track. Pushme Pullyou was second at 8-1 and Harlans Belle finished third, 3 ¾ lengths behind Pushme Pullyou. Gary Contessa trains Stolen Victory, a daughter of Eskendereya out of Stolen Humor by Distorted Humor who was bred by Bortolazzo Stable and was purchased for $40,000 as a two- year-old last year. Breaking from the rail, Harlans Belle seized the lead and maintained it through three-quarters in 1:15.05. Castellano saved ground the entire way as Stolen Victory alternated in third and fourth. Pushme Pullyou made an aggressive rush from last to get even with Harlans Belle at the top of the stretch, but Castellano sent Stolen Victory past both of them on the inside to win going away. Stolen Victory now has two wins, one second and a pair of thirds from 10 dirt starts, and one third from three turf tries for total earnings of more than $90,000. ************************************************** In Thursday’s finale, a six-furlong, $39,000 New York-bred maiden $25,000 claimer, Jim and Susan Hill’s five-year-old mare Winter Wish rallied to a 4 ½-length win under Luis Saez in a final time of 1:11.64 as the second choice at odds of 8-5. George Weaver trains Winter Wish, a daughter of Frost Giant out of Cameo Mio by Belong to Me who was bred by Cedar Ridge Farm. Shotgun Love, the slight 8-5 favorite, outdueled 4-1 She’s All Even to take the early lead as Winter Wish moved up from fourth to third. She’s All Even opened up a seven-length lead by running a fast half-mile in :45.72, but Winter Wish gained ground as soon as Saez asked her to move. She powered to the lead in mid-stretch to win comfortably. She’s All Even finished second, while 17-1 Offlee Good edged Shotgun Love to be a distant third. Winter Wish now has a win, a second and a pair of thirds from four dirt starts, for earnings of more than $45,000.

La Verdad is Magnificent Taking the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Stakes Drawing away with each and every powerful stride, Lady Sheila Stables’ five-year-old New York-bred millionaire mare La Verdad surged to a four-length, gate-to-wire victory under Jose Ortiz Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga in the 24th running of the Grade 2 $200,000 Honorable Miss Stakes. She completed the six furlongs in 1:09.14 and in so doing humbled last year’s Eclipse champion female sprinter Judy the Beauty, who finished third, three-quarters of a length behind Street Story in second. La Verdad also atoned for her fifth as the 6-5 favorite in last year’s Honorable Miss. “She wasn’t in peak form last year,” trainer Linda Rice said. She sure is this year, thanks to Rice’s decision to give her a 4 ½-month rest after she finished seventh against colts in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap last November 27 on a sloppy track at Aqueduct. Rice’s management of the daughter of Yes It’s True out of Noble Fire by Hook and Ladder, bred by Eklektikos Stable, has been incredible. A fully rested La Verdad is undefeated this year. She won the Grade 2 Distaff in her five-year- old debut by 5 ¼ lengths at Aqueduct on April 18th, then the Grade 3 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park a month later. In her last start in the $100,000 Dancin Renee Stakes for New York- breds on a sloppy track at Belmont Park on June 28th, she aired by 7 ¼ lengths as the 1-9 favorite. La Verdad, however, did not go off the favorite in the Honorable Miss, but rather as the 6-5 second choice in the field of five. Judy the Beauty, who is a year older than La Verdad and carried three pounds more than her under Joel Rosario, went off at 4-5 odds. She had finished second by a neck as the even-money favorite in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs in her 2015 debut on May 2nd to increase her career earnings to more than $1.7 million. Judy the Beauty’s trainer, Wesley Ward, had been pointing her to the Honorable Miss ever since. Ironically, both La Verdad and Judy the Beauty were zero for two lifetime at Saratoga before Wednesday. They broke from adjacent stalls in the starting gate ‒ La Verdad from the three post and Judy the Beauty from the four. In the small field, Rosario was justifiably concerned that La Verdad could get loose on the lead, so he sent Judy the Beauty after her immediately at the start. “I was a little surprised that they went after her that aggressively,” Rice said. Ortiz wasn’t. “He put pressure on her and she still won,” he said. La Verdad led Judy the Beauty by a half-length through a :22.47 first quarter, then began to pull away. La Verdad’s second quarter was nearly identical to the first, and she opened a 2 ½-length lead after a :45.03 half-mile. By then, 18-1 Ultimate Shopper had a head lead on Judy the Beauty for second. At that point, Ortiz knew the race was over. “I looked back and I knew no one was going to catch her,” he said. La Verdad streaked home four lengths in front in a truly dominant performance. Street Story, the 5-1 third choice under Javier Castellano, edged Judy the Beauty by three-quarters of a length for second. “She was great like always,” Ortiz said. “She did her job. If they didn’t put pressure on her, she could have won easier.” Rice, who patted La Verdad on her nose and neck in the winner’s circle, admitted she was concerned about Judy the Beauty before the race. “Judy the Beauty is pretty impressive,” she said. “I was a little nervous.” Not afterwards. La Verdad improved her record at six furlongs to 11 for 14 and her career record to 14 for 20 with two seconds. She has now earned nearly $1.2 million and is missing only one item on her resume ‒ one she can add if her next start is at Saratoga in the seven-furlong Grade 1 $500,000 Ballerina on August 29th. “We’re going for that elusive Grade 1,” Rice said. Ward said, “I thought it was a good race. Saratoga, it’s tough here. Everybody is bringing their `A’ game to the party. She ran good and I’m proud of her.” ************************************************** Seemingly out of it in mid-stretch, Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence’s three-year-old filly Style Drift got up in the final strides under Irad Ortiz, Jr. to win a $73,000 New York-bred maiden special weight by a long neck. She completed the one-mile distance in 1:35.76 as the 8-5 favorite in a field of 12. Chad Brown trains the daughter of English Channel out of Nikki Tootsie by Waquoit who was bred by Phil O’Neill and sold for $70,000 as a yearling. Leaving from the rail, she was making just her second career start after finishing second by a half-length at Belmont Park in her debut. Broken Border, a 29-1 shot ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, edged an even bigger longshot, 59-1 front-runner Madison Blues, by a head for second. Fourstar Crook finished fourth at 8-1 odds ************************************************** In a wild mile-and-an-eighth New York-bred $75,000 grass allowance Wednesday, Trinity Farm’s homebred five-year-old gray gelding Birchwood Road, perfectly positioned by Shaun Bridgmohan, held off another gray gelding, East Bay Lodge, by nearly a length in a final time of 1:46.79. Birchwood Road was sent off at odds of 14-1 and East Bay Lodge, who rallied strongly under Kendrick Carmouche, went off at 64-1 odds, producing a $2 exacta payoff of $1,152. Jax Heritage, who went off at 5-1 odds from the rail under Julien Leparoux, was third and 17-1 Thurgood, piloted by Jose Ortiz as a replacement for the injured Manuel Franco, finished fourth. An all-out speed duel between 17-1 All Over Me, ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., and 6-1 Brother O’Connell, ridden by Javier Castellano, resulted in a fast half-mile of :46.52. Bridgmohan let Birchwood Road settle in third, five to six lengths behind the pair. By doing so, he had first shot when the horses dueling on the lead collapsed late. Michelle Nevin trains Birchwood Road, a son of Pure Prize out of Isabel Away by Skip Away, who improved his grass record to two for 17 with two seconds and three thirds. He also has one second from five dirt starts for total earnings of more than $150,000. ************************************************** In Wednesday’s finale, a seven-furlong $25,000 open $12,500 claimer, Irad Ortiz, Jr. rallied Five Cs Stable’s six-year-old New York-bred gelding Tug of War to a neck victory over Highroller Dave in a final time of 1:23.77. Tug of War was sent off at 14-1 odds and Highroller Dave went off at 9-1 in the field of 10. Backwater Blues finished third at 21-1 odds and New York-bred Spa City Fever, the 5-2 favorite ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, rallied for fourth. Patricia Ferro trains Tug of War, a son of Smarty Jones out of Lake Champlain by War Chant who was bred by Jeffrey and Elizabeth Raine. Recalling Memories, a 26-1 shot ridden by Julien Leparoux, set the early pace, tracked by Highroller Dave. Tug of War was a wide fifth and sixth early. Highroller Dave rolled past Recalling Memories, but Tug of War got to him late for his third Saratoga victory in eight starts. Overall, Tug of War is six for 43 on dirt with seven seconds and the same number of thirds. He has also raced on turf three times. His total earnings now are just under $260,000.