Chelsea Durand / NYRA Photo

Fast Boat docks in winner’s circle with late surge in G3 Troy presented by Horse Racing Ireland

by Brian Bohl

 Brad Grady’s Fast Boat motored in deep stretch to overtake pacesetter Carotari from the outside, getting up in the final jumps for a half-length score in Friday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Troy presented by Horse Racing Ireland for 4-year-olds and up sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on Saratoga Race Course’s Mellon turf.

Fast Boat won for the third time in four starts, utilizing a patient trip from jockey Tyler Gaffalione from the inside post as Carotari led the nine-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 21.74 seconds and the half in 44.15 over firm going under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Out of the turn, Gaffalione kept Fast Boat wide, providing the 6-year-old son of City Zip plenty of racing room in front of him. Gaffalione’s charge capitalized on the daylight and picked off multiple rivals one-by-one until setting his sights on Carotari.

In the final sixteenth, Gaffalione alternated from right-handed to left-handed encouragement, and Fast Boat collared his rival in the shadow of the wire, completing the course in 1:01.24 for trainer Joe Sharp.

"During the stretch run I was jumping off the ground,” Sharp said. “I got a little taller inside the eighth pole. You could tell by his momentum that he was going to get there, but the horse on the lead, Javier's horse [Carotari], dug in when he got to him. When he fires his big ones it's always fun to watch from the quarter-pole home. We figured he'd like this turf course here, and he sure did.”

Fast Boat registered his third stakes win of the campaign, adding to scores in the Pulse Power Turf Sprint in January at Sam Houston and the Grade 2 Turf Sprint in April at Churchill Downs, before running sixth last out in the Grade 1 Jackpocket Jaipur on Belmont Stakes Day June 5.

“He was training very forwardly into the race,” Sharp said. “He's a horse we've gotten to know really well and we know all his 'isms.' When he's doing well and when he's going to run a big race and everything pointed to his effort today. The weather cooperated today. He prefers a firm turf course, and for the Jaipur, he lost his opportunity at the Grade 1 with the give in the ground. But I'm not taking anything away from today. We're super proud to be here and honored. Winning at Saratoga is big, let alone winning a graded stake.”

Off at 10-1, Fast Boat returned $23.80 on a $2 win wager. He improved his career earnings to $659,849.

Gaffalione won the Troy for a third consecutive year for three different trainers, starting with Leinster and Rusty Arnold in 2019 and winning aboard the Wayne Potts-conditioned American Sailor last year.

“I didn’t expect to be that close, but he was travelling pretty easy and I just let him do his thing,” Gaffalione said. “I didn’t want to get in his way and when I tipped him out he really finished his job. Mr. Sharp has done a great job with him. You can tell when he’s in that five-and-a-half to three-quarters range, he really runs his race.”

Carotari, trained by Brian Lynch, went off at 23-1 but outkicked Gear Jockey by one length for second, marking the third time in four starts the Artie Schiller gelding has hit the board in his 5-year-old year.

“He had been training so well going into this race,” Castellano said. “You could see on paper how good he was working. I really like how he did it today. I was really satisfied with his race.”

Imprimis, Bound for Nowhere, Front Run the Fed, Lazuli, Chewing Gum and Classy John completed the order of finish. Backtohisroots, Chateau and Casa Creed scratched.

Saturday will feature a stacked 12-race card at Saratoga comprising five stakes, highlighted by the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles in Race 10; the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational as the second leg of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds at 1 3/16 miles in Race 9; the Grade 1, $500,000 Longinest Test in a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies in Race 8; the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls for older fillies and mares at 1 1/2 miles on turf in Race 7; and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure for 4-year-olds and up competing at 1 1/16 miles on grass in Race 6. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.