2011 Travers Stakes Results: Stay Thirsty Win at Saratoga
Monday, August 29, 2011
by Bodog Racebook
The Todd Pletcher trained son of Bernardini outdueled front running Preakness winner SHACKLEFORD and Belmont Stakes winner RULER ON ICE for the lead through a fast opening half mile clocked in 47.63 and took control of the 1-1/4 mile classic on the final turn. Once in the clear turning for home, Stay Thirsty easily held stretch running longshot RATTLESNAKE BRIDGE safe to the wire.
The victory was Stay Thirsty’s first Grade-1 score, but it continued the positive pattern of his development that began with a sharp second in the Belmont Stakes on June 11. It also occurred about 30 minutes after his highly regarded stablemate UNCLE MO returned from his four month rehab from a liver ailment with an excellent second place finish to CALEB’S POSSE in a remarkable renewal of the $250,000 King’s Bishop Stakes, probable the most important sprint for 3 year olds on the American racing calendar.
Both Stay Thirsty and Uncle Mo are trained by future Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and owned by Mike Repole, who entered the horse business after selling his vitamin-water company for multiple billions of dollars. Beyond the combined $800,000 Repole paid for these two talented colts, they both have come back from very poor early season campaigns.
Uncle Mo, the undefeated juvenile champion of 2010 entered 2011 as a heavy winter book favorite for the Kentucky Derby, but was derailed by an intestinal infection linked to a liver issue.
Stay Thirsty began the year as a weak second stringer to Uncle Mo on Repole’s Triple Crown depth chart. Fact is, Stay Thirsty, a $500,000 yearling in 2009, was used mostly as a workmate for Uncle Mo in March and April of this year and his dismal performances in the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby suggested that he might have been ruined by the experience.
But, when Uncle Mo went to the sidelines for extended treatments and Pletcher was left to work on Stay Thirsty’s dormant potential, the results were a revelation and a tribute to Pletcher’s horsemanship.
“We had to get his head on racing, “ Pletcher explained. “ And I had to realize that Uncle Mo wasn’t there and this colt had shown some ability last summer when he was second in the (Grade-1) Hopeful Stakes.”
The concentrated work on Stay Thirsty paid off quickly. First came the colt’s strong second place finish in the Belmont Stakes, followed next by a four length win in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga July 30 and now his gritty win Saturday, in the Travers.
“We’ll probably point (Stay Thirsty) for the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont as a bridge to the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” Pletcher said. “But you can’t take anything for granted.”
While lightly raced longshot Rattlesnake Bridge finished second in the Travers and may have good days ahead, second choice Shackleford looked like he needs a long vacation after finishing eighth after losing the early battle for the lead. Third choice COIL barely finished at all, beaten more than 40 lengths without showing any hint of the form that helped him win the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, July 31.
Ruler On Ice did hold on to fourth, which was a good sign for him considering the pressure he had to cope with in the pace duel, a duel that made Stay Thirsty’s winning performance even more impressive.
Should Uncle Mo come out of his hard try in the King’s Bishop unscathed, his most likely next start will be in the Kelso Mile, October 3, followed perhaps by the Breeders Cup Mile on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.
Again, kudos must go to Todd Pletcher for his work with these two colts, bringing them both back from issues that have ended the promising careers of many talented Thoroughbreds. Pletcher actually had quite the day at Saratoga on Saturday, as his HILDA’S PASSION rebo8unded from a poor performance in her last outing to a 10- length victory in the Grade-1 Ballerina Stakes before Uncle Mo’s near miss in the King’s Bishop and Stay Thirsty’s convincing win in the Travers. But the news was not so good on Sunday when it was announced that Hilda’s Passion would need surgery to repair a leg fracture incurred while she was pulling up from her 10 length Ballerina win.
Also on Sunday, while Saratoga had to close down due to the impact of Hurricane Irene in the Northeastern United States, 3,000 miles away the 21st running of the $1 Million Pacific Classic was being presented in sunny California at beautiful Del Mar by the Pacific Ocean, along with two other important Graded stakes.
ACCLAMATION, a strong front running type who previously had won three straight Graded Stakes on turf, was beautifully ridden to a well paced front running victory on the Del Mar Polytrack by veteran Pat Valenzuela. While clearly out maneuvering jockey Chantal Sutherland— who was aboard Santa Anita Handicap winner GAME ON DUDE—Valenzuela took advantage of the lack of contending early speed and led every step of the way.
Sutherland has ridden well in So Cal this year, but her performance in the Pacific Classic aboard Game on Dude was reminiscent of her losing ride against former fiance’ Mike Smith in the “Battle of the Exes” two weeks ago,
Simply stated, she let Valenzuela take control of the pace while content to let her mount race slightly behind Acclamation until she began to realize that she had to launch a serious challenge. The move was badly timed if not simply too late. As Acclamation gamely held off Twirling Candy in the late going, Polytrack specialist Stately Victor managed to rally past Game On Dude to take third money.
In the 7 furlong, Grade-1 Pat O’Brien, the 3 year old buzzsaw THE FACTOR, easily put away the accomplished 4 year old sprinter SMILING TIGER in the upper stretch and proved much the best over CAMP VICORY and CROWN OF THORNS. The smooth, fast performance, suggested that The Factor will be a tough horse to beat in the 6 furlong, $1.5 million BC Sprint.
The Del Mar Handicap at 1-3/8 miles on grass also was run on the Pacific Classic card. Heavily favored BOURBON BAY was upset by 4-1 shot CELTIC NEW YEAR, who automatically earned a free ticket to the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Breeders’ Cup ejntrs pour conversations and reports right now because Saratoga and Del Mar are winding down with their last six racing days beginning Wednesday. The seasonsa are about to change and , the Breeders’ Cup will be the focal point for all the best horses in America and for many in Europe as well. Get all your horse racing odds in the Bodog Racebook now.
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- Online Horse Racing: Stay Thirsty Prevails at Jim Dandy Stakes
- Horse Racing Odds: Uncle Mo, a 2011 Kentucky Derby Contender
- Online Horse Racing: 2011 Breeders' Cup Post Positions Drawn
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acclamation - belmont stakes - bourbon bay - breeders cup - camp vicory - celtic new year - chantal sutherland - churchill downs - crown of thorns - florida derby
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