| Sunday, October 5, 2014
Familiar trainers take 2-year-olds stakes on Sunday
By Sean Morris
ELMONT, N.Y. - It was déjà vu on Sunday at Belmont Park as trainers Todd Pletcher and Michelle Nevin took a pair of prominent stakes for 2-year-olds, virtually mirroring Saturday's results.
Pletcher, who sent out Daredevil to victory in the Grade 1 Champagne on Saturday, took the Grade 2, $200,000 Futurity on Sunday with Blofeld, while Nevin, who captured her first Grade 1 race with By the Moon in the Frizette on Saturday, won the Grade 2 Matron, $200,000 with Paulassilverlining.
Blofeld, sent off as the 6-5 favorite, was away from the gate well but outgunned to the lead by Cinco Charlie. Under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, Blofeld advanced along the inside of the pacesetter down the backstretch, but was forced to steady as the seam closed abruptly.
Turning for home, Cinco Charlie spurted away from the field, and was met on the outside by 8-5 second choice Hebbronville while Blofeld appeared beaten along the rail in third. With a sixteenth to the wire, Blofeld found another gear and surged to the front to prevail by three-quarters of a length over Hebbronville.
Blofeld, owned by William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, completed the six-furlong distance in 1:09.49, running his last furlong in 11.86 seconds.
"It wasn't the trip I was expecting, but he still won," said Velazquez. "We got squeezed out of a spot near the half-mile pole and he was getting a little bit intimidated, but once he got his momentum going he came back again. I'm proud of him, because they're babies, they don't get squeezed and try to come back again in the same spot."
Blofeld, who paid $4.40 to win and boosted his bankroll to $169,800, is likely to make his next start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Nashua on November 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack, according to Pletcher.
Cinco Charlie finished third, 5 ½ lengths in front of Far Right. Mr. Amos completed the order of finish.
After flashing good early zip in her first two starts, Paulassilverlining was content to settle in fifth down the backstretch under Jose Ortiz as Evrybdymstgetstonz led the field through fractions of 22.41 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.07 for the half.
With five-sixteenths to travel, the daughter of Ghostzapper was bottled up in traffic, but a patient Ortiz stayed the course until running room presented itself at the quarter pole. Ortiz gently guided Paulassilverlining to the outside at that juncture, and his mount did the rest, surging to a 1 ¼-length victory.
"I couldn't have been happier," said Nevin. "Jose gave her a perfect ride and everything worked out for us. She's very smart and responds well to your hands. She'll go easy, and she's got some speed too."
Paulassilverlining, a Vincent Scuderi homebred, completed the six furlongs in 1:10.86. The bay filly returned $13.80 on a $2 win wager and enhanced her bankroll to $173,950.
Skipalute, who was nailed on the wire of her last start by Paulassilverlining, finished second, 2 ¾ lengths in front of pacesetter Evrybdymstgetstz. Save Rock and Roll finished fourth, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of 4-5 favorite Paris Bikini.
Darling Sky, Empressive Humor, and Desert Image completed the order of finish.
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