Up-and-coming Train the Trainer romps in New York Derby
The public bet last-out stakes winner Train the Trainer as if no one else was in the New York Derby on Monday afternoon at Finger Lakes. Despite the race being the gelding's first try at two turns, the Rob Atras trainee ran to his odds-on price, clearing off in the lane and defeating three fellow New York-breds under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
Train the Trainer broke sharply. Though both Hit the Post and Buttah lined up to the favorite's outside, Buttah settled back to track the leading pair into the turn, ahead of King's Leap at the rear. Hit the Post prompted Train the Trainer and even tried to engage him in a duel near the five-eighths, but Ortiz let his mount out just a notch to return to a slim lead.
Approaching the far turn, Buttah and King's Leap edged closer to the leading pair, but they cleared off into the bend. Hit the Post briefly engaged Train the Trainer in a duel, but into the stretch Ortiz told the favorite to go.
Train the Trainer responded, opening up a clear lead in upper stretch and crossing the finish line four lengths clear. Hit the Post kept on with interest but proved a clear second best. King's Leap ran on the better of the back pair, crossing the wire another 2 1/4 lengths back. Buttah, 2 3/4 lengths further back, rounded out the field. Calling Card was scratched.
Stopping the timer at 1:44.66 for 1 1/16 miles on fast dirt, Train the Trainer paid his backers $3.10 to win.
Train the Trainer is a 3-year-old gelding by Dialed In out of the Forestry mare Heavenly Vision, a winning half-sister to both sire Cairo Prince and Nonna Mia, the second dam of Fierceness.
He finished second to Goal Oriented in his maiden special weight debut at Santa Anita for Bob Baffert in April before resurfacing for Atras in a New York-bred maiden special weight sprint at Aqueduct on May 4. He won that race by five lengths as the odds-on favorite, then took the Mike Lee Stakes gate to wire on June 4 at Saratoga. Like the New York Derby, the Mike Lee also was restricted to New York-breds.