Scalable comes out on top in $150K Interborough

Repole Stable’s Scalable made a closing rally to collar pacesetter St. Benedicts Prep in the stretch and win Saturday’s $150,000 Interborough, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Speightstown gray adds to previous stakes success in last year’s 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks at its namesake New Jersey oval. She successfully cut back in distance for the Interborough, improving upon a third last out in the local Grade 3 Comely traveling nine-furlongs on November 30.

Stu Hampson, Pletcher’s New York assistant, said the filly’s class aided her on the cutback.

"It was a little bit of a concern on paper - was there enough speed in there? She's not super quick, but she has tactical speed,” Hampson said. “They actually ticked along on the front end. After a quarter-mile we probably felt better than we did looking at it on paper, but she's such a hard-trying filly that you knew she'd give it her best effort. We're delighted with the win."

Post-time favorite Socially Selective emerged sharpest of all from the outside post in the five-horse field, but watched as the rail-skimming St. Benedicts Prep successfully challenged Cara’s Time for the early lead under Jose Lezcano and marked an opening quarter-mile in 23.46 seconds over the fast main track.

Scalable emerged well from post 4 and tracked in last under Kendrick Carmouche down the backstretch, but quickly made up ground widest of all as St. Benedicts Prep reached the half-mile in 46.82 and Socially Selective was coaxed along from third by Sahin Civaci. Scalable and Socially Selective put away a backpedaling Cara’s Time and ranged up outside St. Benedicts Prep exiting the turn to make it three across the track before Civaci guided his charge inside for the stretch run.

A stubborn St. Benedicts Prep faced pressure both on her outside from Scalable and on the inside from Socially Selective, but dug in gamely as the latter stalled and Scalable loomed large with giant strides down the center of the course. St. Benedicts Prep’s lead waned after three-quarters in 1:11.68, and Scalable wore down her foe in the final sixteenth to draw clear to a 1 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:25.05.

Socially Selective finished third another four lengths back with Caldwell Luvs Gold three-quarter-lengths behind her in fourth. Cara’s Time completed the order of finish. Just Music and Dame Cinco were scratched.

Hampson said he was pleased with the trip Carmouche engineered.

"For a second there, I thought she might want to hang, but Kendrick was able to build up some momentum and will her home,” Hampson said. “She's such an honest, hard-trying filly. She's not the biggest filly in the world, but she has a huge heart, and we're thrilled to get the result today."

Carmouche, who also teamed up with Pletcher to win the Ladies aboard Tizzy in the Sky earlier this month, said a change in pace prompted his swift move on the backstretch.

"I thought they were going pretty good early but around the turn I thought they slowed it up a little and I didn't like that too much. That's why I moved a little early,” Carmouche explained. “I can't let that happen. I wasn't riding her too much [at the end] - she already knew she had it beat, and I don't think Lezcano's horse would fight as much to come back and beat me. I think my horse ran her race to win. It was a good spot - good cut back."

Carmouche added Scalable’s experience at longer distances was beneficial today.

"She was cutting back to seven furlongs and I thought she had a good bottom underneath her from going those long distances. I wanted to make sure I break her good and keep her in striking distance,” Carmouche said. “I didn't want her to drop back so far - they can lose their competitiveness when they're not around horses. Once I got to the half-mile, I saw everybody still sitting, so I just said, 'forget it' and pulled the trigger. I knew she would keep going because she'd run those long distances. She got it done.”

Lezcano said the meet-leading Linda Rice-trained St. Benedicts Prep gave her all just one week after a nose defeat to Ms. Bucchero in the six-furlong What A Summer at Laurel Park.

"She broke pretty good, but a little awkward and I had to rush her a little bit early,” Lezcano said. “And after, she gave me a good race. She tried hard. I think the filly [Scalable] is the class of the race, she gave me what she got. She fought when the winner comes you know, but the other horse kept going."

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Scalable was a $200,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the Tapit mare Passion Flower, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-victor Stopchargingmaria – an earner of over $3 million for Pletcher that was campaigned at ages two and three by Mike Repole. Scalable banked $82,500 in victory while improving her lifetime record to 12-4-1-1 and returning $11 on a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday 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 Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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