Blackmail aces stakes debut in $150K Woodhaven
Gary Barber’s Blackmail made his stakes debut a winning one when fending off Instability by a neck in Saturday’s $150,000 Woodhaven, a one-mile inner turf test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse and piloted by fellow enshrine Javier Castellano, the gelded son of Not This Time entered from a pacesetting optional claiming effort on February 14 at Tampa Bay Downs that saw him cross the finish line third but disqualified to seventh for interference in the first turn. He adds to a second-out graduation over the Gulfstream Park Tapeta in November.
Shane Tripp, Casse's New York assistant, said he was pleased to see Blackmail deliver a strong performance after scratching from a six-furlong turf allowance on Friday in favor of the Woodhaven.
"We were pretty excited to lead him over today,” Tripp said. “He's been training great. The guys who get on him in the morning were really excited to run him. I'm glad Mark and Gary decided to put him in this spot. We had a Hall of Famer on him today. That made a big difference. I think the future is bright for this horse. He is really a good-moving horse."
Blackmail emerged from post 3-of-5 to the outside of a stumbling Teddy’s Rocket and was a clear second along the rail heading into the first turn. The Jaime Rodriguez-piloted Longshoreman was keen to lead the field and marked an opening quarter-mile in 25.24 seconds over the firm footing.
"I didn't want to dictate the pace,” Castellano said. “I wanted to cover up and save something for the end. When I asked him, he really finished with a big strong finish at the end."
Instability, with Flavien Prat aboard, tracked in third heading down the backstretch, and was coaxed up to second position through the half-mile in 51.55 before turning up the pressure and sitting on the pacesetter’s flank entering the far turn. Blackmail preserved rail position with Teddy’s Rocket and Blue Forty Two ranging up from the back of the pack as Longshoreman reached three-quarters in 1:16.51, but Instability loomed the main danger at the top of the stretch.
A stubborn Longshoreman clung to a precarious lead at the furlong pole, but the patiently-handled Blackmail was unleashed and showed an impressive turn-of-foot to shoot up the rail and take command while fending off Instability and crossing the wire first in a final time of 1:40.21.
Longshoreman, who also scratched from the aforementioned Friday allowance, finished third another three lengths back with Teddy’s Rocket and Blue Forty Two completing the order of finish. Casa Cielo, the Casse-trained Blinging It Back and main track-only entrant Growth Equity were scratched.
Castellano, aboard for the first time in the afternoon, said he was pleased to work out the inside trip.
"That was key to win the race - being inside at the rail. Be patient,” Castellano said. “I knew there was not much speed, but I knew the key was to cover up, be behind horses, let it develop, save all the ground, and when I made my move at the quarter-pole, I cut the corner. I went inside. I think that made the difference to win the race.”
Prat said the Chad Brown-trained Instability found his best stride late.
"I had a good trip,” Prat said. “It took a little while to get him going. Then, he made a good run. The winner had a dream trip on the inside. I thought I had a good trip as well. When we turned for home, it took him a little bit to get going."
Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, Blackmail was a $150,000 purchase at this year’s Fasig-Tipton February Digital Sale and is out of the winning Street Cry mare Waving, who also produced dual stakes-placed Aquitania Arrival. Blackmail banked $82,500 in victory while returning $23.14 on a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct for Closing Day of the spring meet with a nine-race card, featuring the Listed $150,000 Memories of Silver in Race 8. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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