Adam Coglianese Photo

Emery prevails in G3 Victory Ride

by Keith McCalmont

Stonestreet Stables’ Emery, expertly piloted by Tyler Gaffalione, made the grade with a perfectly-timed rally to capture Thursday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride, 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the More Than Ready dark bay has now won 4-of-5 career starts, entering from a 3 1/2-length victory in the seven-furlong Leslie’s Lady on June 9 at Churchill Downs.

“She’s got a nice pedigree and now she’s a graded stakes winner,” Cox said. “She came back off short rest, but I feel like she did it the right way at Churchill and I gave her plenty of time from her race at Keeneland [in April] to the Churchill race. We asked her to come back just a touch quick and put one work in her, and I was happy with the way she breezed last week. She finished up well today.”

Halina’s Forte, winner of the Ruthless here in February, broke alertly under Jose Ortiz, but it was the Flavien Prat-piloted Mystic Lake that took command out of the inside post to mark the opening quarter-mile in 21.72 seconds over the fast main track.

Emery tracked from third position as Halina’s Forte pressed the pacesetting Mystic Lake into the turn through a swift half-mile in 44.38. Mystic Lake, last-out winner of the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, put away Halina’s Forte and opened up a two-length advantage at the stretch call as Gaffalione urged Emery into contention.

A game and determined Mystic Lake dug in along the rail, but she could not turn back the inevitable momentum of Emery, who scored by three-quarter lengths in a final time of 1:15.44. It was 5 3/4-lengths back to Halina’s Forte in third with Autumn Evening rounding out the order of finish. Golden Degree was scratched.

Gaffalione, now undefeated in four starts aboard Emery, said he was concerned about the pace scenario in the compact field but was please to see Halina’s Forte pressuring Mystic Lake in the early stages.

“We were able to track them,” Gaffalione said. “When I got to the turn, I just kind of let my filly out a bit and she just kept building off of that. Coming into the stretch, the filly on the inside [Mystic Lake], she kicked home nicely, but my filly really dug in and finished the job well today. All the credit goes to Brad and his team.”

Prat, who won five races on Thursday’s card, said the Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained Mystic Lake was game in defeat.

“She is quick. She was doing well all the way around,” Prat said. “She gave me a really good run turning for home. It would probably be as far as she wants to go. She ran well.”

Emery made a memorable debut sprinting six furlongs in August at Saratoga Race Course, drawing off over a muddy and sealed surface to best eventual Grade 3 Florida Oaks-winner Waskesiu by 5 3/4-lengths. She followed with an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Frizette in October here under Manny Franco to close out her juvenile campaign but returned with aplomb in April at Keeneland to capture an optional-claiming sprint ahead of her Leslie’s Lady coup.

Gaffalione, who recently secured a tie with Jose Ortiz for the Churchill Downs spring meet riding title, said Emery is developing into a very talented filly.

“I love the progression that she has made from her first start, sitting outside, to where she’s been able to take dirt, sitting back, relaxing beautifully, and showing a really nice turn of foot,” Gaffalione said.

Cox credited Stonestreet Stables for allowing Emery enough time to grow up.

“She has a great mind and she broke her maiden at Saratoga last year first time out and had never breezed at Saratoga. She handled all of that well,” Cox said. “I really liked her a lot, and the Frizette last year just wasn’t her day. She came out of it and had a break afterwards.

“We’ve always thought a lot of her and Stonestreet always allows you to do the right thing by the horse,” Cox added. “Patience paid off today and we’re very proud of what she’s accomplished. We’re looking forward to hopefully being on to bigger and better things.”

Cox said Emery could point to the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Test presented by Ticketmaster on August 3 at Saratoga Race Course.

“It’s possible,” Cox said. “We’ll talk it over with the Stonestreet team and watch her first and foremost. There’s a good shot she’ll be getting on a van in a few days and heading to Saratoga.”

Bred in Kentucky by Mary K. Grum, Emery is out of the multiple stakes-winning Street Sense mare Athena. Her second dam, Race Rocks, is a half-sister to 2004 Grade 1 Carter Handicap-winner Peeping Tom. She banked $96,250 in victory while improving her record to 5-4-0-0. She returned $3.20 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Friday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the Grade 2, $200,000 Brooklyn in Race 8. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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