Saturday, October 25, 2014

Salutos Amigos powers away in G3 Bold Ruler

Saturday, October 25, 2014


 

Salutos Amigos powers away in G3 Bold Ruler


 

By Sean Morris


 

ELMONT, N.Y. - When trainer David Jacobson elected to run Salutos Amigos in the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler Handicap on Saturday at Belmont Park, it seemed the Breeders' Cup Sprint, for which he was pre-entered, was no longer a possibility. With a convincing 3 ¼-length win in the Bold Ruler, however, the son of Salute the Sarge thrust himself back in the picture for the November 1 Sprint at Santa Anita Park, according to Jacobson.


 

"His performance was spectacular; I think we made the right move staying home," said Jacobson, who owns Salutos Amigos in conjunction with Southern Equine Stable. "Now we're going to make some phone calls and see if we can go to the Breeders' Cup [Sprint]. I don't know if it's still an option, but if it is, we're going to be on a plane Monday to go to California. I was just waiting for a spectacular performance, and we got it."


 

Beneath Cornelio Velasquez, Salutos Amigos broke in midpack and sat a few lengths off a measured pace of 22.94 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.99 for the half set by even-money favorite River Rocks. Salutos Amigos was surrounded by horses entering the stretch, allowing eventual second and third-place finishers Confrontation and Romansh to get first run, but came with a furious rally once clear and inhaled the field in the final furlong.


 

"I broke good and stayed in good position," said Velasquez. "I stayed behind the speed and I waited, waited, waited. At the three-sixteenths pole, I had a chance to put him into gear, and I had a lot of horse. He won easy today."


 

Should Salutos Amigos run in the Breeders' Cup, he will have only a week to recover from his breakthrough performance in the Bold Ruler and ship to California, but Jacobson is confident his horse is up to the task.


 

"He had a lot of trouble [in the Bold Ruler]," said the trainer. "There were some real nice horses in there, and they had him blocked in. Cornelio [Velasquez] had to go very wide. With this kind of performance, and knowing the way I trained him into the race, he's going to be ready to run next Saturday."


 

Salutos Amigos completed the seven furlongs in 1:21.87 and returned $9.10 on a $2 win wager. With the winner's share of $120,000, the 4-year-old gelding upped his bankroll to $447,406.


 

Confrontation finished a neck in front of Romansh, while it was another length back to heavy favorite River Rocks in fourth. Cease, Sage Valley and Joe Tess completed the order of finish.


 

-30-


Forward this email



This email was sent to patrickjpatten.tpaposts@blogger.com by nyracommunications@nyrainc.com |  


The New York Racing Association, Inc. | NYRA | Press Office | P.O. Box 90 | Jamaica | NY | 11417