Aqueduct: Far Bridge, Jody’s Pride, Whatchatalkinabout win

Far Bridge added the Grade 2, $400,000 Man o’ War Stakes to his impressive résumé with a one-length triumph in the 1 3/8-mile inner turf route for older horses Saturday at the Belmont at Aqueduct spring meet.

Owned by LSU Stables and trained by Christophe Clément, the 5-year-old son of English Channel is 2-for-2 this year after kicking off his campaign with a narrow score in the Pan American (G3) on March 29 at Gulfstream Park. Last year he stamped himself as the leader of this division with Grade 1 victories in the Sword Dancer at Saratoga and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont at the Big A ahead of a ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf in November at Del Mar.

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Clément, who earned his third Man o’ War victory after sending out Gio Ponti to back-to-back wins in 2009 and 2010, said the inside trip engineered by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario benefitted well-seasoned Far Bridge in the field of five.

“Very tactical, short field. Joel rode a great race,” Clément said. “To train he has never been an issue, but in his races he seems to be more mature (this year). Going up the inside, he has the rail, and if he has the rail to help him, he’s always good. It’s when he’s in the middle of something (there can be trouble), but when he’s on the rail, no problem.”

Far Bridge broke alertly from post 3 but settled in third along the inside as Decanted took command from Capture the Flag through the first turn to mark the opening quarter-mile in 24.92 seconds over the good footing.

“We always have a plan. It looked like we were going to be forwardly placed, but it looked like the other couple of horses on the outside had a little more speed than me,” Rosario said. “They did. So I tried to put him in a good spot and put him for a clear run when it was time to go.”

Decanted held a comfortable lead over Capture the Flag into the backstretch and through the half-mile in 49.99 seconds. Hall of Famer John Velázquez then coaxed Capture the Flag to match strides with Decanted at the front with three-quarters elapsing in 1:15.58. While those two battled on the lead, Rosario saw a seam open on the rail and seized his opportunity to send Far Bridge to the inside approaching the turn, slightly pinching a tiring Decanted before he quickly faded to the rear of the field after the mile in 1:40.31.

“It looked like there was an opportunity to go in there, and he did,” Rosario said of the move along the rail. “He didn’t mind that, so it was great.”

A loaded Far Bridge was a strong leader at the top of the lane after the two frontrunners backpedaled. But Anglophile, a last-out third in the Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland, put in a bid three-wide under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano to loom a threat after 10 furlongs in 2:04.96. Anglophile gained steadily down the center of the course. Rosario confidently peeked back to see a big enough cushion to sustain a strong hand ride to the finish, never going to his stick as Far Bridge crossed the wire first with a time of 2:17.24.

Padiddle rallied to finished five lengths behind Anglophile for third with Capture the Flag and Decanted completing the order of finish.

Clément said tactical Far Bridge, who has won both as the pacesetter and in stalking fashion, was best served by a patient trip Saturday over a softer turf course.

“He can go to the lead, but I did not want him to go to the lead, because I was a little bit worried about the ground,” Clément said. “The horse that finished third in the Elkhorn the other day, I thought he ran a very good race, to tell you the truth, so I was worried about moving a little too early and him coming to catch us. The ride was perfect. The other horse had the whole stretch to catch us, and he just couldn’t catch us.”

Far Bridge is one of three top contenders in this division for Clément, who also trains multiple graded-stakes winner Deterministic and dual Grade 1 winner Carson’s Run. They finished first and second in the Fort Marcy (G3) last Saturday at Aqueduct.

Clément said Far Bridge will target the $1 million Manhattan (G1) on June 7 during the Belmont Stakes racing festival at Saratoga. Deterministic and Carson’s Run also could come under consideration for the 1 3/16-mile turf route for older horses.

“Let’s train them and see where they go,” Clement concluded. “(Far Bridge) goes to the Manhattan for sure. It’s a good problem to have, by the way.”

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, Far Bridge banked $220,000 in victory while improving his lifetime record to 16: 8-3-2, which includes an additional Grade 1 score in the Belmont Derby Invitational as a sophomore when in the care of Hall of Fame conditioner Todd Pletcher. He returned $2.60 on a $2 win ticket as the 1-4 mutuel favorite.

Jody’s Pride gets ideal trip to win Ruffian

Jody’s Pride, under a perfect trip engineered by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, notched a sharp three-quarter length victory in the $200,000 Ruffian (G2), a one-turn mile for older fillies and mares.

Owned by Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable and trained by Jorge Abreu, the 4-year-old American Pharoah dark bay made the third start of her campaign a winning one after a neck third in the seven-furlong Inside Information (G2) in January at Gulfstream Park and a troubled fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Azeri (G2) on March 8 at Oaklawn.

Jody’s Pride broke alertly from post 4 in the Ruffian, but Rosario followed Abreu’s instructions to the letter, stalking and pouncing to an impressive score over a closing Sterling Silver.

“Early on in Florida she got sick on me, and I had to skip a couple of breezes with her. She went into the Inside Information a couple of breezes short, and she ran a great race,” Abreu said. “We took her to the Azeri. She didn't break, and she was four-wide, and she just doesn't want to come from back there.”

Jody’s Pride and Headline Numbers broke well, but it was Here’s the Kicker who was hustled up to mark the opening quarter-mile in 23.62 seconds over the fast main track.

Headline Numbers asserted to take the lead through a half-mile in 46.40 seconds with dual Grade 1-placed My Mane Squeeze, the 6-5 favorite under Manny Franco, looming large and eventually taking command through three-quarters of a mile in 1:10.43.

Jody’s Pride saved ground in fourth position under Rosario as Grade 2 winner Gun Song took an outside route with the Hall of Famer Javier Castellano-piloted Sterling Silver also finding her best stride late in the turn. Rosario waited patiently for room and found it to the inside of My Mane Squeeze, taking command at the furlong marker and powering to the wire with a time of 1:35.04.

“Good trip. I was inside there for a little bit. I was enjoying when it opened up turning for home, but she looked like she wanted to be up there. She liked to fight, and that showed at the end,” said Rosario, who won three stakes Saturday.

Rosario noted that he was briefly concerned about finding racing room for the stretch run.

“For a little bit yes, but it looked like she was game in there,” Rosario said. “I just had to go at that point and go from there. I knew she would like that. It worked today."

Sterling Silver, a multiple graded-stakes-placed, New York-bred trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, completed the exacta 2 1/2 lengths in front of My Mane Squeeze. Morning Matcha, Headline Numbers, Gun Song and Here’s the Kicker rounded out the finish in that order. The Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained pair of Dazzling Move and Claret Beret, who is cross-entered Sunday at Gulfstream Park, were scratched. So were Chad Brown-conditioned Catherine Wheel Michael Moore-trained Takethemoneyhoney, both of whom are entered in Sunday’s Serena’s Song at Monmouth Park.

Jody’s Pride, a close second to eventual champion 2-year-old filly Just F Y I in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, captured the listed Busher Invitational at Aqueduct last year in a brief three-race campaign.

Abreu said Jody’s Pride will be pointed to a potential start in the seven-furlong $300,000 Bed o' Roses (G2) on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes racing festival at Saratoga.

Bred in Kentucky by Steve Weston, Jody’s Pride banked $110,000 in victory while improving her record to 9: 4-1-1. Jody’s Pride is out of Scat Daddy mare Jody’s Song, a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes-placed New York-bred Make Mischief and stakes-placed Speightful Lily. She returned $17.60 for a $2 win bet.

Whatchatalkinabout sprints to Nerud win

New York-bred Whatchatalkinabout was a determined winner when making his first start outside state-bred company in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 John A. Nerud, a six-furlong sprint for older horses at the Belmont at Aqueduct spring meet.

Owned by Ice Wine Stable, trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the 4-year-old gelded son of Dialed In returned with aplomb from a nearly four-month layoff dating to an impressive local optional-claiming score Jan. 16 that garnered a lofty 106 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form. Never off the board in six prior outings, he adds to a win in the New York Breeders’ Futurity in October 2023 at Finger Lakes.

Whatchatalkinabout was meant to have his first start off the layoff in the Commonwealth (G3) on April 8 at Keeneland but was rerouted after he acted up in the gate in response to an unsettled Nutella Fella and ultimately was scratched at the gate.

Ward said he was content to give Whatchatalkinabout plenty of time between starts.

“He ran such a big number in his last race. I just wanted to give him a bunch of time. I’ve learned a lot over the 35 years. When I started I had black hair, and now it’s white, so I’ve learned what not to do,” Ward said with a laugh. “It’s hard to be patient, especially when he ran a big one like that.”

Whatchatalkinabout was much quieter in the gate Saturday and emerged sharply from post 3 in the six-horse field. He applied pressure to the outside of Silver Slugger, who marked the opening quarter-mile in 21.89 seconds over the fast main track with Surveillance tracking a close third a half-length back.

Ortiz said a quieter experience in the starting gate helped his charge break alertly.

“He was much better at the gate,” Ortiz said. “That helped. We broke so good, he put me right in the race, and after that I was closer than I thought, and I go from there.”

Up the backstretch, second choice Anarchist was pulled up by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario while the top three came to even terms entering the turn. They spread three wide across the track before reaching the half-mile in 44.84 seconds.

Silver Slugger dug in gamely along the inside with Surveillance bearing down on the outside. The two surrounding fully extended Whatchatalkinabout as the trio readied for a stretch-long showdown.

Silver Slugger refused to yield under Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Júnior Alvarado while Surveillance tried with every stride to stick his head in front as the triad battled through the final eighth. It was unrelenting Whatchatalkinabout who got the best of his foes just before the wire and posted the head victory with a time of 1:09.03.

Surveillance was another neck in back of Silver Slugger in third with Full Moon Madness running on to complete the superfecta and O’Conner Sunset rounding out the order of finish.

According to the New York Racing Association veterinary department suffered an injury to his right foreleg and will undergo surgery at Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists.

Ortiz praised Whatchatalkinabout’s determination in the final sixteenth of the race that used to be run in July at seven furlongs.

“He was game at the end. He felt the outside horse and fought,” Ortiz said. “Then the inside horse came back, and he fights back, and by the time we hit the wire, he had his head in front. He was game. He was fighting.”

Ward said he was equally impressed.

“He’s a good horse. Talented. He ran a gutsy race. I was proud of him,” Ward said. “That horse on the inside ran a big one and also the gray horse on the outside (Surveillance). To be in the middle of those two, and for him to gut through, it really showed something.”

Bred by Newtown Anner Stud, Whatchatalkinabout banked $96,250 in victory while improving his lifetime record to 7: 4-2-1. He returned $4.00 on a $2 win ticket as the even-money favorite. Whatchatalkinabout was selected by Ward for $82,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale.