Chelsea Durand / NYRA Photo

Florida invader Dayoutoftheoffice pulls 19-1 upset in Schuylerville (G3)

by Ryan Martin

Graded stakes action at Saratoga Race Course kicked off with a 19-1 upset when Dayoutoftheoffice made the most out of a trip to the Spa in taking the 102nd running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Schuylerville over the main track.

Trained by Timothy Hamm, who co-owns the dark bay juvenile daughter of Into Mischief with Siena Farm, Dayoutoftheoffice arrived at the six-furlong event for 2-year-old fillies off a 4 3/4-length maiden triumph on debut traveling 4 1/2-furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

Piloted by Junior Alvarado, Dayoutoftheoffice broke sharply from post 7 and tracked in third to the outside of frontrunners Make Mischief and Hara with the former establishing command, leading the field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.29 seconds on the main track rated fast.

At the top of the stretch, Hara had dropped out of contention while Dayoutoftheoffice began making her winning move with Make Mischief up front to catch. Approaching the three-sixteenths pole, Dayoutoftheoffice took command with Hopeful Princess making a late bid to the far outside. But there was no catching Dayoutoftheoffice, who drew away to a six-length victory in a final time of 1:10.43 over Make Mischief who was another length to the better of Hopeful Princess.

Completing the full order of finish were Hara, Queen Arella and Quinoa Tifah.

Beautiful Memories, the 1-2 post time favorite, was pulled up around the far turn and walked home under her own power. Sunny Isle Beach was scratched.

"Last time in the first sixteenth of a mile, it took her a little bit to get going, so my goal today was to get a good position," Alvarado said. "I knew she would handle the distance fine today. She broke good and put me in a good spot and I was for sure a smiling person the whole way around. I knew what I had under me and she responded very well when I asked her turning for home."

The victory marked a third career graded stakes triumph for Hamm, who had not struck gold at such caliber since winning Keeneland's Grade 3 Appalachian with Afternoon Stroll in 2009.

Hamm said he was hoping for his filly to be sitting just off the pace, and he got exactly what he wanted.

"We knew there would be a lot of speed, but I thought if we could be third or fourth early, we'd have a big chance. When I saw her coming into the turn laying third, I thought we had a shot," Hamm said. "We got the trip we were hoping to get. In the paddock, he [jockey Junior Alvarado] said to me, 'into the turn if you could pick a spot for me to be, where would that be?' I said third right outside the speed. When I saw him laying there, I said, 'wow we're still alive.'"

After banking $55,000 in victory, Dayoutoftheoffice enhanced her lifetime earnings to $79,000 and is unbeaten in two starts. She rewarded her backers in payouts of $41.60 for a $2 win bet.

Bred in Kentucky by co-owner Siena Farm, Dayoutoftheoffice is out of the Indian Charlie broodmare Gottahaveadream.

Jockey Jose Ortiz, aboard beaten favorite Beautiful Memories, said that his filly had a small cut on her right front leg.

"She stumbled out of the gate and was traveling OK, but she was getting a lot of dirt in her face," Ortiz said. "Going into the turn, she switched leads and I noticed she wasn't traveling well, so I decided to take care of her. It was a tough decision to make. She had a small cut on her right front. I don't think it's serious."

Live racing returns on Friday afternoon with a 10-race card which features the $85,000 De La Rose for fillies and mares going one mile over the inner turf and the $85,000 Shine Again for fillies and mares going seven furlongs over the main track. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.