Joe Labozzetta Photo

Picco Uno waltzes in gate-to-wire win in Dancin Renee; Sunday to feature two-day $85,507 Pick 6 carryover

by Brian Bohl

Kennesaw Mountain Racing’s Picco Uno capitalized on class relief, wiring a six-horse field by four lengths in the sixth running of the $125,000 Dancin Renee for state-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on Saturday at Belmont Park.

Out of the gate, jockey Manny Franco sent Picco Uno to the front in the six furlong sprint, where she set fractions of 22.25 seconds for a quarter-mile and the half in 45.23 on the fast main track with Cozzy Spring giving pursuit. 

Picco Uno gained separation out of the turn and Franco used a left-handed whip as the 5-year-old gray mare steadied away, completing the distance in 1:09.60, bouncing back from a fifth-place finish last out in the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap on April 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Jason Servis trainee won for the first time in five starts, earning a return trip to the winner’s circle for the first time since the Union Avenue on August 17 at Saratoga Race Course. 

“Coming into the race, the plan was to break out of there and get involved early. The other horse with speed [Cozzy Spring] was inside of me but I broke better than her and took advantage,” Franco said. “My last two races aboard, we tried different tactics but today, he [Servis] wanted to be right there up front in the lead or second nothing further than that. Thankfully, it worked out getting on the lead early and she did everything from there easy.”

Off at 5-1, Picco Uno paid $12.40 on a $2 win bet. The daughter of Macho Uno increased her career bankroll to $413,667. She has three wins and two runner-up efforts in seven career starts at Belmont.

“We told Manny not to take anything away from her. She always breaks sharp and he was able to go on with it. She ran a really great race and we’re just thrilled,” Servis said. “Two months ago, [this race] wasn’t even on the radar. She had some issues this winter and it took a long time to get her going. But she really started to turn around the last couple of weeks and she had a really good breeze the other day, so we thought we’d take a shot.”

Servis said Picco Uno could be targeting the $100,000 Union Avenue for New York-breds on August 16 at Saratoga, where she will be looking to repeat her 2017 winning effort.

Runner-up Cozzy Spring, trained by Charlie Baker, finished a half-length ahead of 4-5 favorite Holiday Disguise in third, marking her best performance in a stakes.

Absatootly, Bluegrass Flag and Bobby’s Song completed the order of finish. Still There was scratched. 

Picco Uno’s win in Race 9, coupled with Moses Supposes edging favorite Ferrad’s Party in the day’s finale, triggered a two-day Pick 6 carryover of $85,507 heading into Sunday’s card at Belmont.

Clear N Convincing ($8.00) started the day’s sequence in Race 5, with Kendrick Carmouche, who totaled four wins on the day, piloting Missle Bomb ($4.50) to victory in Race 6. Our Independence won Race 7 and Carmouche was aboard again for big-priced winner Hembree ($31.40) in a turf route one race before the Dancin Renee. Consolation payouts for 5-of-6 winners was $1,586.

Sunday’s Pick 6 carryover will start with Race 5 with a post time of 3:41 p.m. The sequence will also include the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker in Race 9 at 5:50 p.m.