Haulin Ice leads Joseph, Jr.-trained exacta in G3 Vagrancy

C Two Racing Stable, Paul Braverman, Miller Racing and Timothy Pinch’s Haulin Ice wore down her pacesetting stablemate R Disaster to score her first graded victory in Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Vagrancy, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, at Belmont at the Big A.
 
Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the 4-year-old daughter of Coal Front notched her third consecutive stakes triumph on the heels of pacesetting wins at Oaklawn Park in the state-bred Downthedustyroad on March 1 and Listed Matron on March 29, the latter effort producing a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. The Vagrancy marked her fifth win since transferring to Joseph, Jr. last June, and came after she was scratched from Saturday’s Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs in favor of this spot.
 
"We knew she loves Oaklawn and she got a big figure there last out. Originally, she was going to run at Churchill and she actually shipped to Churchill and at the last minute the ownership group decided they wanted to run her at Aqueduct,” Joseph, Jr. explained. “We had to ship her to Aqueduct a couple days ago, so for her to do all that shipping and still come out on top off of such a big race, maybe she is going to a different level now."
 
Guided to the winner’s circle by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Haulin Ice was bumped to her outside by the awkward-starting Socially Selective, who hit the gate as it opened and turned sideways. Haulin Ice quickly recovered and was coaxed along the outside of R Disaster through the opening quarter-mile in 22.09 seconds over the fast footing.
 
“We had a great trip other than the breaking out of the gate,” Velazquez said. “That horse on the outside was right on top of me. Other than that, it was pretty forward, she's fast. I let her do her thing. The other horse [R Disaster] kind of put a half-length in front of her, and she came back and put up a good fight, so that is what good horses do."
 
Haulin Ice stuck her head in front rounding the turn as Grade 1-winner Leslie’s Rose and Grade 3-placed St. Benedicts Prep commenced their bids with the former boxed in behind foes and the latter making a three-wide bid through the half-mile in 44.81. Haulin Ice appeared ready to kick clear at the top of the lane with the pursuers spinning their wheels, but R Disaster fought back gamely along the inside to retake the lead inside the eighth pole.
 
The two went head-to-head in the final strides and Leslie’s Rose found her best stride belatedly, but it was Haulin Ice who battled back gamely to stick her head back in front and notch the neck score in a final time of 1:16.10.
 
R Disaster held second by a nose over Leslie’s Rose with St. Benedicts Prep completing the superfecta three-quarter-lengths back. Almostgone Rocket completed the order of finish, with Socially Selective declared a non-starter for wagering purposes.
 
Joseph, Jr. said he was pleased with the efforts from both his fillies.
 
“I thought Haulin Ice was very gutsy and R Disaster, too, they both ran game races,” Joseph, Jr. said. “She [R Disaster] did dig back in [late] and then it looked like the three [Leslie's Rose] might come and nail both of them. It was a tricky race, and you didn't feel comfortable right until the wire."
 
Joseph, Jr. added Haulin Ice is likely to return to his home base of Gulfstream Park, while the now dual graded stakes-placed R Disaster could remain in New York for a possible start in the Grade 2, $300,000 Bed o' Roses, a seven-furlong sprint on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course:

"R Disaster might stay in this area, so she could probably run back in that race,” Joseph, Jr. said. “I'll talk it over with each owner and see what they want to do."
 
Junior Alvarado, aboard the Hall of Famer Bill Mott-trained Socially Selective, said his charge was restless at the same time the gate opened.
 
“She loaded in and broke through the gate,” said Alvarado, who teamed up with Mott yesterday to win the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby aboard Sovereignty. “The guy [starter] was doing his job to hold me because she broke through the gate - it was just bad timing. Everybody was trying to do their job. It was just unfortunate."
 
Bred in Arkansas by Eugenia Thomspon-Benight, Haulin Ice became the third graded stakes-winner for her sire this year after Coal Battle took the Grade 2 Rebel in February and Crazy Mason won the Grade 2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets in April here. She banked $96,250 in victory and improved her lifetime record to 14-8-3-0 while returning $6 on a $2 win wager. 

Live racing resumes Thursday at Belmont at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
 
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.