Indy Bay wears down Long Neck Paula in $150K Jersey Girl

C Two Racing Stable, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch’s Indy Bay notched her first stakes win after wearing down the pacesetting Long Neck Paula in Sunday’s $150,000 Jersey Girl, a six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, on Closing Day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the daughter of Take Charge Indy is a perfect 3-for-3 since being privately purchased and moved to her current barn this winter, adding to a March graduation at Gulfstream Park and a last-out optional claiming allowance score in April at Oaklawn Park, which earned a career-high 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

“After the Oaklawn race we felt very good, figure-wise,” Joseph, Jr. said. “At the top of the stretch [today] I didn’t feel very good. I thought she was going backwards for a minute. At the wire I felt a lot better. She trained well and she just continues to improve. She’s a gutsy filly and you can probably see her being in the Test. Her granddam is Harmony Lodge, who was a pretty good horse.”

Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., who notched his third win on the card, Indy Bay emerged from post 5-of-7 and stalked the pace set by Long Neck Paula through the early stages before moving up to apply pressure through the opening quarter-mile in 22.34 seconds over the fast main track.

Paula’s a Star followed suit with a three-wide move mid-turn to make it three across the track with post-time favorite Beauty Reigns angling out from the rear of the compact field to position herself for a late run. Long Neck Paula reached the top of the lane after a half-mile in 44.97 and attempted to sprint clear of her pursuing rivals, but Indy Bay crept closer with every stride with Beauty Reigns doing the same to her outside and Paula’s a Star spinning her wheels.

Long Neck Paula was game to the wire, but Indy Bay got the best of her in the final jumps and won by a head in a final time of 1:09.70 with Beauty Reigns coming up just short three-quarter-lengths back.

Paula’s a Star, Mila Candy, Italian Soiree and Nilo’s Rose completed the order of finish.

Ortiz, Jr., aboard for the first time in the afternoon, said Indy Bay was game to the wire.

“She looked amazing before the race and warmed up really good,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “She was sharp. She got me closer than what I thought. After that, it was beautiful because I was able to jump on Long Neck Paula a little earlier than I would have and she kept fighting all the way to the wire. [Long Neck Paula] was a tough customer and Indy Bay put her head in front in the last couple jumps.”

Bred in Kentucky by Frankfort Park Farm, Indy Bay was a $19,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Speightstown mare Discovery Bay. She was originally trained by Thomas Vance and owned by Michael Mazoch and Linda Mazoch.

“We bought her after her second race and now we are 3-for-3,” said Mark Cornett of C Two Racing Stable. “We took it gradually with her to develop her over time. She showed some heart there at the end to get by Long Neck Paula. We are really pleased. We needed to get a stakes win and we did.”

Cornett added Indy Bay could try the Grade 3, $175,000 Victory Ride during the July 4 Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course as a bridge to the Grade 1, $500,000 Test presented by Ticketmaster on August 2 at the Spa.

“We are going to point her to the Test, so we will map out the best way to get there,” Cornett said. “That is a race to look at, and she'll stay [stabled] here definitely."

Indy Bay banked $82,500 for her Jersey Girl victory while returning $6.50 on a $2 win bet. 

Live racing at the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet now moves back downstate to Aqueduct Racetrack, beginning with an eight-race card on Thursday, June 12. 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/.

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