Lubash Delivers Powerhouse Effort in West Point
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NYRA
Serving as a preamble to Travers Day, Friday at Saratoga Race Course featured six New York-bred stakes races worth $1.15 million, with familiar foes Lubash and King Kreesa delivering a powerhouse performance in the $150,000 West Point and adding a new chapter to a rivalry that has spanned more than two years.
Settling just off the early pace, King Kreesa confronted front-running Notacatbutallama at the head of the lane and edged away in mid-stretch as Lubash was produced on the outside by jockey Junior Alvarado. The two turf warriors locked horns briefly in the final eighth of the 1 1/16-mile West Point, but Lubash propelled on to a one-length score.
"What can I say about Lubash, it's always the same: he tries hard, he runs hard," said winning trainer Christophe Clement. "Junior rides him with an amazing amount of confidence. He's a great horse. I was very worried about him. He got hurt [at Belmont Park] after his last race and I couldn't train him for two weeks. He overcame everything.
"It's fun," Clement added. "I'm not going to be around many horses who win stakes when they're 8 years old. I thoroughly enjoy it and I'm very grateful. I don't do anything special with him; he's that good. He's been overcoming me for the past four years."
Lubash completed the distance in 1:43.04 and returned $5 on a $2 win wager. His career earnings are now north of $1.2 million for owner Aliyu Ben J Stables.
The Tea Cups made her first try in stakes company a successful one, rallying from far back and kicking clear down the center of a firm inner turf course under Luis Saez to prevail by a length in the 36th running of the $150,000 Yaddo.
Old Harbor also closed spiritedly on the inside rail to be second by one length and Selenite was another length back in third, while Grade 1 winner and 1-2 favorite Discreet Marq faded out of contention. The Tea Cups paid $21.40 on a $2 win wager and completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.92.
"This is my first stakes win at the meet and it's exciting," said winning trainer Jeremiah Englehart. "The Yaddo was the first stakes race I ever ran in and I've always admired the race. Luis gave her a super ride. I was a little worried that she was back so far, but Luis did a phenomenal job. It is something when you beat an awfully nice mare like Discreet Marq. Anytime you get to go up against a really nice horse like that and you come away with a win, it's an added bonus."
Old Harbor also closed spiritedly on the inside rail to be second by one length and Selenite was another length back in third, while Grade 1 winner and 1-2 favorite Discreet Marq faded out of contention. The Tea Cups paid $21.40 on a $2 win wager and completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.92.
"This is my first stakes win at the meet and it's exciting," said winning trainer Jeremiah Englehart. "The Yaddo was the first stakes race I ever ran in and I've always admired the race. Luis gave her a super ride. I was a little worried that she was back so far, but Luis did a phenomenal job. It is something when you beat an awfully nice mare like Discreet Marq. Anytime you get to go up against a really nice horse like that and you come away with a win, it's an added bonus."
In a near carbon copy of his debut victory July 30 at Saratoga, Repole Stable's Sudden Surprise broke well and coasted to a front-running victory in the $200,000 Funny Cide for 2-year-olds to open the 11-race program.
The juvenile bay son of Giant Surprise led through a quarter-mile in 22.22 seconds and a half in 45.28, spurting away from the field in the stretch for a two-length triumph over Manipulated in 1:16.42 for 6 ½ furlongs on the main track. Favored at 4-5 in a field of five, Sudden Surprise returned $3.80 for a $2 win bet.
Jc's Shooting Star, trained by David Donk, put in a gritty performance to break her maiden in the $200,000 Fleet Indian. The 3-year-old filly battled down the stretch, prevailing by a head over Conquest Superstep and finishing the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:51.39. Both Donk and winning jockey Manuel Franco were delighted her with performance.
"To be honest, I didn't think we could beat a couple of the fillies in the race," said Donk. "She was a maiden going in. She ran a great race and I'm thrilled."
Jc's Shooting Star was sent off at odds of 18-1. She paid $38 for a $2 win bet.
"Everything worked out great," said Franco. "I knew I had the race coming down the stretch. The horse had talent and showed it today."
Making only her second career start following a dazzling debut at the Spa on August 7, Nirvana Stables' She's All Ready delivered an exemplary encore in the$200,000 Seeking the Ante for 2-year-old fillies.
Breaking sharply from post position 4 as the 1-5 favorite under Kendrick Carmouche, She's All Ready led the field of seven through fractions of 22.04 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.39 for the half. With Super Surprise in hot pursuit at the eighth pole, Carmouche kept She's All Ready to task and extended away in the stretch to secure the victory by three lengths.
Completing the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.71, She's All Ready boosted her career earnings to $163,800 and returned $2.60 on a $2 win wager.
Breaking sharply from post position 4 as the 1-5 favorite under Kendrick Carmouche, She's All Ready led the field of seven through fractions of 22.04 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.39 for the half. With Super Surprise in hot pursuit at the eighth pole, Carmouche kept She's All Ready to task and extended away in the stretch to secure the victory by three lengths.
Completing the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.71, She's All Ready boosted her career earnings to $163,800 and returned $2.60 on a $2 win wager.
Good Luck Gus closed out New York Showcase Day with a half-length victory in the $250,000 Albany for owner Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables. In his first start since the New York Derby at Finger Lakes on July 3, the Lookin At Lucky colt utilized his inside post, saving ground and settling off a reasonable early pace set by One Sided, who led the field through the opening quarter mile in 25.30 seconds and the half in 50.23.
Good Luck Gus, ridden by Luis Saez, picked up the pace in the far turn as One Sided completed three-quarters in 1:14.33. Turning for home, Saez tipped his mount to the outside of the leaders and burst through rivals to give his jockey his third consecutive win on the day's card, including the Yaddo two races earlier aboard The Tea Cups.
"The plan was we were going to be behind the speed, and when we made the move, hopefully we would have the horse," said Saez. "When we came to the stretch, I tried to look for the room, but everyone was moving in and out. When I had a little opportunity, we grabbed it, and he kept going."
"We've been pointing him to this race all along," Rodriguez said of his trainee's comeback. "He won at Saratoga a year ago, I had entered him for [main track only] on the grass to see if we could get a race before this one because it's a long race, but he's been working super over here. I'm glad to see him win here, that's for sure."
One Sided finished second, a length ahead of Bellamy Way in third. Returning $9.10 for a $2 win wager, Good Luck Gus's winning time for the 1 1/8-mile Albany was 1:50.81.
Source: NYRA Communications
Good Luck Gus, ridden by Luis Saez, picked up the pace in the far turn as One Sided completed three-quarters in 1:14.33. Turning for home, Saez tipped his mount to the outside of the leaders and burst through rivals to give his jockey his third consecutive win on the day's card, including the Yaddo two races earlier aboard The Tea Cups.
"The plan was we were going to be behind the speed, and when we made the move, hopefully we would have the horse," said Saez. "When we came to the stretch, I tried to look for the room, but everyone was moving in and out. When I had a little opportunity, we grabbed it, and he kept going."
"We've been pointing him to this race all along," Rodriguez said of his trainee's comeback. "He won at Saratoga a year ago, I had entered him for [main track only] on the grass to see if we could get a race before this one because it's a long race, but he's been working super over here. I'm glad to see him win here, that's for sure."
One Sided finished second, a length ahead of Bellamy Way in third. Returning $9.10 for a $2 win wager, Good Luck Gus's winning time for the 1 1/8-mile Albany was 1:50.81.
Source: NYRA Communications
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