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Almostgone Rocket takes off in $150K Jersey Girl

by Mary Eddy

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and Ten Strike Racing’s Almostgone Rocket kept her perfect record intact with an easy victory in Thursday’s Listed $150,000 Jersey Girl, a six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which spans Thursday through Sunday, is highlighted by the 156th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 8. The four-day Festival will include 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Festival in 2014.

Trained by two-time Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, Almostgone Rocket adds to two sprint victories this spring when a romping 11 3/4-length winner on debut in April in Oaklawn Park and ahead of a 4 1/2-length score in a first-level allowance on May 3 at Churchill Downs. She is now the first stakes-winner produced from the multiple stakes-winning Jump Start mare Bound.

"Big run. Obviously, she has a big pedigree and now she’s a stakes winner, so it takes a little pressure off,” Cox said. “Overall, our goal is to obviously get her some black type and make her a graded stakes winner. I’m proud of what she was able to do today. It was a fast opening half and she finished it off.”

Almostgone Rocket stumbled slightly when exiting post 5 under Flavien Prat as the Pennsylvania-bred Gray Lightning broke sharpest and assumed command along the inside under Jorge Vargas, Jr. to stride away to a large advantage down the backstretch. Prat made a swift decision approaching the turn to challenge for the lead with Manama Gold following to his outside to make it three across the racetrack through an opening quarter-mile in 22.28 seconds over the fast main track.

Gray Lightning came under a ride along the rail as the field exited the turn while Prat gave a hand ride and Hall of Famer John Velazquez went to a right-handed crop on Manama Gold in the center of the course as the half-mile elapsed in 44.72.

Prat needed only to shake his reins and give one right-handed tap with the crop for Almostgone Rocket to easily put away the retreating Gray Lightning and the pursuing Manama Gold, building upon her advantage with every stride in the final sixteenth to cross the wire six lengths in front while completing the course in 1:09.52.

Manama Gold was a clear second by three lengths over Gray Lightning with Becky’s Joker and Dorothy’s Dreams rounding out the order of finish. Carmelina, Roman Grace and Moonlit Lady were scratched.

Prat, who engineered her last-out allowance score, said Almostgone Rocket was push-button when asked in the turn.

“The trip was good. She broke a little bit [awkwardly] out of the gate, but she got herself forwardly placed,” said Prat. “I was traveling well all the way around and when it was time to make her move, she did. When I squeezed on her she responded really well. I knew it was going to take a good horse to run me down, and it didn’t happen.”

The previously undefeated Manama Gold made her American debut for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher after winning her first three outings for conditioner Fawzi Nass in Dubai. She won her first two starts going a respective seven furlongs and one mile ahead of a 1 1/4-length score in the 1 3/16-mile Group 3 UAE Oaks in February at Meydan Racecourse.

Velazquez said the daughter of Star Guitar would likely relish a return to longer distances after making a signifcant cutback in the Jersery Girl.

“Man, I didn’t think she was going to show that much speed. She was closer than I thought,” said Velazquez. “I thought she ran very well. Especially since I’ve watched all her races and I didn’t think she was going to be that close. I thought she ran really well. She may be a horse who needs a little more distance anyways.”

Cox said it is likely Almostgone Rocket will target Grade 1 success sprinting in the seven-furlong, $500,000 Test presented by Ticketmaster on August 3 at the Spa rather than try stretching out for the 10-furlong Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales on August 17.

“We’ll probably keep her around one turn. She’s more a Test than an Alabama filly, for sure,” said Cox. “The seven-eighths, the Test, would be a short-term goal.”

Bred in Kentucky by Malibu Farm, the Into Mischief bay was a $250,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She banked $82,500 in victory while returning $3 on a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga for Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, headlined by the Grade 1, $750,000 New York presented by Rivers Casino in Race 11. The stacked 12-race card also features the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game in Race 10, the Grade 1, $500,000 DK Horse Acorn in Race 12, and the Grade 2, $200,000 Intercontinental presented by MTV Solutions in Race 9. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, and the best way to bet every race of the four-day meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.