Aqueduct: Scalable closes from last to win Interborough

Scalable made a closing rally to collar pacesetter St. Benedicts Prep in the stretch and win Saturday’s $150,000 Interborough Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for five older fillies and mares at Aqueduct.

Owned by Repole Stable and trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Speightstown gray adds to previous stakes success in last year’s Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Monmouth Oaks. She successfully cut back in distance for the Interborough, improving upon a third last out in the local Comely (G3) traveling 1 1/8 miles Nov. 30.

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Stu Hampson, Pletcher’s New York assistant, said the filly’s class aided her on the cutback.

“It was a little bit of a concern on paper. Was there enough speed in there? She’s not super quick, but she has tactical speed,” Hampson said. “They actually ticked along on the front end. After a quarter-mile we probably felt better than we did looking at it on paper, but she’s such a hard-trying filly that you knew she’d give it her best effort.”

Post-time favorite Socially Selective emerged sharpest of all from the outside post but watched as rail-skimming St. Benedicts Prep successfully challenged Cara’s Time for the early lead under Jose Lezcano and marked an opening quarter-mile in 23.46 seconds over the fast main track.

Scalable emerged well from post 4 and tracked in last under Kendrick Carmouche up the backstretch but quickly made up ground widest of all as St. Benedicts Prep reached the half-mile in 46.82 seconds, and Socially Selective was coaxed along from third by Sahin Civaci. Scalable and Socially Selective put away a backpedaling Cara’s Time and ranged up outside St. Benedicts Prep exiting the turn to make it three across the track before Civaci guided his charge inside for the stretch run.

A stubborn St. Benedicts Prep faced pressure both on her outside from Scalable and on the inside from Socially Selective but dug in gamely as the Socially Selective stalled, and Scalable loomed large with giant strides down the center of the course. St. Benedicts Prep’s lead waned after three-quarters in 1:11.68, and Scalable wore down her foe in the final sixteenth to draw clear to a 1 1/4-length victory with a final time of 1:25.05.

Socially Selective finished third another four lengths back with Caldwell Luvs Gold three-quarters of a length behind her in fourth. Cara’s Time completed the order of finish. Just Music and Dame Cinco were scratched.

Hampson said he was pleased with the trip Carmouche engineered.

“For a second there I thought she might want to hang, but Kendrick was able to build up some momentum and will her home,” Hampson said.

Carmouche, who also teamed with Pletcher to win the Ladies Stakes aboard Tizzy in the Sky this month, said a change in pace prompted his swift move on the backstretch.

“I thought they were going pretty good early, but around the turn I thought they slowed it up a little, and I didn’t like that too much. That’s why I moved a little early,” Carmouche said. “I can’t let that happen. I wasn’t riding her too much (at the end). She already knew she had it beat, and I don’t think (St. Benedicts Prep) would fight as much to come back and beat me. I think my horse ran her race to win. It was a good spot. Good cutback.”

Carmouche added Scalable’s experience at longer distances was beneficial Saturday.

“She was cutting back to seven furlongs, and I thought she had a good bottom underneath her from going those long distances. I wanted to make sure I break her good and keep her in striking distance,” Carmouche said. “I didn’t want her to drop back so far. They can lose their competitiveness when they’re not around horses. Once I got to the half-mile, I saw everybody still sitting, so I just said forget it and pulled the trigger. I knew she would keep going, because she’d run those long distances. She got it done.”

Lezcano said St. Benedicts Prep, trained by meet leader Linda Rice, gave her all just one week after a nose defeat to Ms. Bucchero in the six-furlong What A Summer at Laurel Park.

“She broke pretty good but a little awkward, and I had to rush her a little bit early,” Lezcano said. “And after, she gave me a good race. She tried hard. I think (Scalable) is the class of the race. She gave me what she got. She fought when the winner comes, you know, but the other horse kept going.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Scalable was a $200,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale and is out of Tapit mare Passion Flower, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 victor Stopchargingmaria, an earner of more than $3 million for Pletcher who was campaigned at ages 2 and 3 by Mike Repole.

Scalable banked $82,500 in victory while improving her lifetime record to 12: 4-1-1 and returning $11.00 for a $2 win ticket.