Sudden Surprise Completes NYRA Triple with Notebook Win
Win a stakes race at all three of the New York Racing Association’s tracks, and you have earned some recognition. The two-year-old colt, Sudden Surprise is now due such recognition after winning today’s six furlong Notebook Stakes at Aqueduct in facile fashion.
Sent off as the overwhelming 3-10 choice off his growing juvenile resume, Sudden Surprise broke well from his outside post position. Sitting just off the early pace of Love That Jazz, the bay colt easily ranged up to his competition, as the pair raced past opening fractions of :22.17 and :45.18. With little urging from his Hall of Fame rider, John Velazquez, the heavily favored juvenile cruised right on by to take control of the race as the field of six New York-breds straightened out for the stretch run.
Dr. Shane, the second choice, and winner of the New York Breeders’ Futurity in his last, loomed as the main threat on the outside, but Sudden Surprise had plenty left for the drive to the wire. Kept to task by Johnny V, the winner never looked in danger the final sixteenth of the $100,000 affair. At the finish, the Todd Pletcher trained colt finished 1 ¾ lengths clear of Dr. Shane, who edged a game Love That Jazz for the place by a neck. The final time, over a fast main track at the Big A, was 1:11.27.
"Sometimes the ones you're supposed to win are the hardest ones to win,” said Pletcher. “You never take anything for granted. The horse had trained very well, we were backing up to a distance he's had success at and we drew a good post, but I think this year's crop of New York-breds is the strongest I've seen in awhile. You know these races are going to be competitive, but I was pleased with his effort."
Today’s victory gave Sudden Surprise (Giant Surprise--Ready and Good, by More Than Ready) his fourth victory in five lifetime starts. After breaking his maiden at first asking at Saratoga, the Mike Repole homebred came right back to win the Funny Cide Stakes, also at the Spa. From there, the son of Repole’s first crop sire prevailed in a tough drive over the highly regarded Get Jets in the seven furlong Bertram F. Bongard at Belmont Park, before losing to that one, while fading to fourth, in the one-mile Sleepy Hollow in his last start.
Today, and back at a sprinting trip of six furlongs, Sudden Surprise looked good. "Perfect trip,” said Velazquez. “We had a nice post-position on the outside and I got to watch a little bit on who was going to be the speed and move right to them. He's back to his good form and it was pretty easy. We've been talking about it and I don't think the cutback in distance made any difference. I just don't think he was quite right last time. He broke to the lead like he was going to go and he didn't go anywhere, so we don't know why he just threw that clunker but today he showed up."