Rubilinda just holds on to win Belmont's Pebbles Stakes
She had to work for it Saturday, but Rubilinda picked up back-to-back stakes wins at Belmont Park, this time in the $200,000 Pebbles Stakes, a one-mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies. The Pebbles marked the longest distance yet for Don Alberto Stable’s homebred Frankel (GB) filly, and she just held on to take the win over fast closing Party Boat.
“I thought I won, and I was watching to see if my other horse [Thais] held on for second,” said winning trainer Chad Brown, “and then when I walked down, it was closer than I thought.”
“She's been a great filly since the first day I rode her,” said Rubilinda’s jockey, Jose Ortiz. “She was very impressive in her debut. Stretching out to a mile has been a little complicated for me and her to get along, because she's going to be a little keen. She trains like that in the morning, a little keen too.”
The final time was 1:34.72. Party Boat was second by a nose with Thais was third.
At the break, longshot Sylphide was the quickest in the field of nine and led the opening half-mile in fractions of :23.03 and :46.46. Dynatail and Adorable Miss were next in line, with jockey Jose Ortiz holding 6-5 favorite Rubilinda in fourth. Scheme, Thais (FR), Bellavais, and Lido followed while Party Boat took up the rear.
Once in the turn, Sylphide’s leading margin began to close and Ortiz took Rubilinda to the outside. Three-quarters of a mile went in 1:10.91 as Sylphide and Rubilinda battled it out, but Rubilinda emerged the better of the two. When victory seemed in sight, Party Boat quickly closed from last and Thais also stood a late chance. The wire came just in time for Rubilinda, who switched leads in the stretch, to pick up her third win in four starts.
Lido, Sylphide, Scheme, Bellavais, Dynatail, and Adorable Miss completed the order of finish.
On Rubilinda, Ortiz said, "Today I tried to pull her up the most that I could and put her in the clear and she took off without me asking her for anything. I didn't want to move at that point but it almost cost me the race. I think with this mile now and probably the next one, we'll find a race for her. I think it's the perfect distance for her. Today, she learned a lot of things, she's going to keep learning.”
Rubilinda has now bankrolled $240,400 from her four starts, all of which have been on the Belmont turf. She won her debut in May, finished second in an allowance, and also won the $100,000 Christiecat Stakes.
“We're thankful to come away with the victory,” said Brown. “She ran well. She was still a little green there down the lane, switching leads and the such. He [Jose Ortiz] said when he pulled her into daylight a little earlier than she had been, she was pulling a little bit, so she still has some learning to do, but she ran good.”
By Christine Oser