Isabelle Digs In for Broadway Victory
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With a determined run through the final sixteenth, favored Isabelle powered four wide to take Saturday's 36th running of the $100,000 Broadway for New York-bred fillies and mares, the Valentine's Day feature at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Patiently handled by Junior Alvarado after getting squeezed at the start, Isabelle was content to run in fourth, not far off early fractions of 23.14 and 46.89 seconds set by Atlantic's Smile. Nudged into striking distance on the turn as Vicki's Dancer and Uncle Southern joined the fray up front, Isabelle began cutting into the lead at the top of the stretch and was able to power past a game Atlantic's Smile in the final yards.
"She kind of got squeezed back at the break," said Riley Mott, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's son and assistant. "[She got] shuffled back, and got dirt in her face and she overcame that and Junior [Alvarado] rode a great race. The track was playing speed all day, so the fact that she was able to come off the pace like that was impressive."
Isabelle's time for six furlongs was 1:12.23 over a fast inner track.
"I tried to send her a little bit but there was a fast horse outside of me; she brushed with the other filly and lost all her action," said Alvarado. "After that I just tried to get a good spot for her and make her comfortable without rushing her. I thought it was going to be harder than that, but I had so much horse. Everything ended up easy for me. Turning for home I put her outside and she finished very good."
The victory was the third straight for Isabelle and second of the year, having taken an optional claimer on January 29 at the Big A in her first outing for Mott. Previously trained by Lisa Lewis, Isabelle won three of her five starts in 2014, including the Bouwerie for state-breds in May at Belmont Park. Overall, the William Schettine color-bearer is now 5-1-0 from eight starts with a bankroll of $281,400.
She returned $5.10 for a $2 win bet to her Valentine's Day backers.
Atlantic's Smile held for second, 1 ¼ lengths back, and was followed under the wire by late-charging Make the Moment, Vicki's Dancer, Blithely, Uncle Southern, and Pennymine.
Source: NYRA Communications
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