Sudden Surprise, Melodic Capture NY-Bred Stakes Races

Repole Stable's Sudden Surprise stretched his record to 3-for-3 with a gritty victory over Get Jets in the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard and Melodic rallied to take the $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma for fillies in a pair of juvenile stakes for New York-breds to open the card on Sunday at Belmont Park.

 

Sudden Surprise, a homebred son of Giant Surprise, came out of the gate in full stride and was never headed, digging in through the final yards to prevail by a neck over Get Jets, who was purchased for $300,000 out of the 2-year-olds in training sale in April and even-money favorite Championofthenile, who fetched $840,000 in May.

 

"This is probably the toughest New York-bred 2-year-old stakes race in history," said winning owner Mike Repole. "I couldn't believe the two horses [Get Jets and Championofthenile] I saw in the race. Our horse is 3-for-3 and he's done everything right. He just keeps getting better. Now we have a tough decision between the Sleepy Hollow [for New York-breds on October 24 at Belmont Park] or the Breeders' Cup [Juvenile or Juvenile Turf]."

 

Sudden Surprise completed the seven furlongs in 1:23.52 under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez to add the Bongard to his previous stakes win against state-breds in the Funny Cide at Saratoga Race Course. Sent off at 7-2, he returned $9.90 for a $2 win bet and earned $90,000, improving his earnings to $253,800.

 

"I thought he ran very well," said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. "He got a good start and seemed like he responded every time he was challenged. I think today's race was an open stakes calibre race. There were some very good colts in here so I think everything is in play [for his next race]."

 

Championofthenile was 1 ¼ lengths in front of Manipulated, with Steve's Image finishing fifth.

 

In the Joseph A. Gimma, Melodic also broke sharply but then relaxed to sit just behind a three-way scramble for the lead among Surprise Cameo, Super Surprise and Frosty Margarita. Angled to the outside by jockey Kendrick Carmouche straightening for home, the chestnut daughter of Tale of the Cat surged to the front in midstretch and pulled clear to hit the wire three lengths in front of Frosty Margarita.

 

Her time for the seven furlongs was 1:25.01.

 

"She broke so fast today but I had her nice and relaxed behind horses," said Carmouche, who was aboard for the filly's maiden win on September 2 at Saratoga. "Once we got to the quarter-pole, I just let her do her thing. She came home nice and easy. It was a good effort by the filly, [trainer] Leah [Gyarmati], the owners, grooms, hot walkers and everybody."

 

The 5-2 third choice, Melodic returned $7.10 for a $2 win wager and earned $90,000 for Treadway Racing Stable.

 

Surprise Cameo held on for third, followed by Super Surprise and Ben's Girl.

 
Source: NYRA Communications (Jenny Kellner)