Coglianese / NYRA Photo Photo

First-time starter Maryanorginger takes Astoria

by Sean Morris

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trained by Jeremiah Englehart for Gold Square, first-time starter Maryanorginger overcame a troubled beginning to take the $150,000 Astoria Stakes on Thursday at Belmont Park to help kick off the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which culminates in the 151st running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday.

Maryanorginger was the lone debut entrant in the 108th Astoria, run at 5 ½ furlongs on the main track for 2-year-old fillies, but looked like a seasoned professional knifing through traffic to prevail by three-quarters of a length. 

The daughter of Strong Mandate stumbled out of the gate and was steadied to near last shortly thereafter as Twirling Owen led the field through splits of 22.13 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.53 for the half. Beginning to pick it up around the turn, Maryanorginger, with Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. in the irons, moved into contention on the rail as the field straightened away and quickly dove through an opening in upper stretch to seize control of the lead at the eighth pole. 

With 6-5 favorite Perfect Alibi hounding her every step in the final furlong, Maryanorginger remained resolute, stopping the clock in 1:03.94.

"I stayed calm [after she stumbled] because she was taking dirt so good," said Vargas, who picked up his first stakes victory on the NYRA circuit. "When she got clear, she was long gone. I think she's going to appreciate more distance. I hadn't been on her before, but Mr. Englehart told me she was a nice filly. I was pretty confident in her."

Maryanorginger, a $190,000 yearling purchase bred in Kentucky, returned $8.60 on a $2 win wager and earned $87,000 for her victory.

"The first time out it's really not the way you want to start against winners, but she's really been professional," said Englehart. "Other than a little rear up in the paddock, she's been really good and really smart.”

Englehart said he vacillated before ultimately entering her in the ambitious spot.

"I was actually targeting a turf race, but everyone at the barn was telling me do dirt," said the trainer. "And Al [Gold, winning owner] likes to run his horses the first time on dirt. And I said, 'all right.' We took a shot and it paid off."

Coming off an impressive 9 ½-length win in her debut for trainer Mark Casse, who will saddle Preakness winner War of Will and live longshot Sir Winston in the Belmont, Perfect Alibi ran valiantly in defeat but had to settle for second, finishing 1 ¼ lengths clear of longshot Talk You Out of It. It was another 6 ¾ lengths back to Reiterate in fourth, who was followed home by Punk Rock Princess, Twirling Owen, and Ms Headley.