Union Rags Splashes Home in Saratoga Special
Union Rags put away favored Stat at the
top of the stretch and splashed his way to a 7 ¼-length victory in
Monday afternoon's Grade 2, $150,000 Three Chimneys Saratoga Special for
2-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course.
The victory - his
second straight in as many starts - earned Union Rags' owner a bonus of
$200,000 as the colt became the first juvenile purchased at the 2010
Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling sales to win a graded stakes at Saratoga.
Ridden
by Javier Castellano, Union Rags hugged the rail while vying with Stat,
Indian Evening and Trinniberg through an opening quarter-mile in 21.78
and a half in 45.55 over the sloppy track. Shaking free of all but Stat
on the far turn, the Dixie Union colt outfooted the favorite once
straightened for home, drawing off despite veering out into the middle
of the track.
His winning time was 1:18.33 for the 6 ½ furlongs over the sloppy track.
"He
proved he is a good horse, and I'm really excited about him," said
trainer Michael Matz. "Phyllis [Wyeth], the owner, is a great person.
She has had a lot of horses for me, and she told me that one day she
would get me a good one. Hopefully we have it."
"[The owner] told me that one day she would get me a good one. Hopefully we have it."
Owned
by Wyeth's Chadds Ford Stable, Union Rags made his debut at Delaware
Park on July 12, rallying from seventh to post a 1 ¾-length victory,
going five furlongs in 58.25. Coming north to Saratoga earlier this
month from Matz's Fair Hill training center, he tuned up for the Three
Chimneys Saratoga Special with a half-mile work in 47.66 on August 9,
the fastest of 44 at the distance.
"He's an unbelievable
horse," said Castellano. "I got a phone call last week from my agent;
he wanted me to work some horses on Tuesday. Jockeys usually take off on
Tuesdays since we race six days a week, but I'm so glad he did that to
me. When I showed up and worked the horse in the morning, it was
unbelievable. I've never worked a horse like that and I've been very
fortunate to ride horses like Ghostzapper and Bernardini."
The
3-1 third choice in the field of six, Union Rags returned $8.50 for a
$2 win bet and with the total purse, including the bonus, of $290,000
has now earned $318,800.
Stat, the 8-5 favorite,
finished three lengths in front of Indian Evening, who in turn was
followed by Banner Bill, Trinniberg, and Italo.
Matz said he had no spot picked out for Union Rags' next start.
"We'll
get him back at the barn and see what we look like, speak with the
owners and see what we want to do," he said. "Obviously our main goal is
for next year, but we'll just have to see how he is and look for
something in about a month or five weeks."
-30-