Infinite Wisdom wires field for first stakes win in John's Call

by Brian Bohl

Amerman Racing's Infinite Wisdom set an easy pace and surged in the stretch, going gate-to-wire to win his first stakes in the 14th running of the $100,000 John's Call for 3-year-olds and up on the Mellon turf Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course.

Infinite Wisdom handled the career-long 1 5/8-mile distance well, with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. sending him to the front, logging a quarter-mile in 25.79 seconds and the half in 51.68.

The 6-year-old, who was making his second career stakes start and first since a sixth-place effort in last year's Grade 3 Oceanport, saw St. Louie recover from a bobble at the break to challenge him near the far turn. But Ortiz steadied Infinite Wisdom entering the stretch and the Smart Strike gelding outkicked Nessy for the one-length win, completing the course in 2:40.52.

"He's got a long stride so I let him do what he wanted and be happy," Ortiz said. "He was really relaxed, and when a horse is relaxed like that I don't like to get in his way. So, I let him do whatever he wanted to do, and he was doing it comfortably."

Infinite Wisdom won for the first time in seven starts for trainer Brian Lynch, finally breaking through after back-to-back runner-up efforts against allowance company. The victory was also Lynch's first of the meet in 20 starts.

"It's a big sigh of relief," Lynch said. "Obviously, the extra ground certainly helped him and I always thought the farther he goes, the better he'd be. He got to walk the dog under Irad on the lead and I'm sure that all added into it and he had enough to finish. It's been a very quiet meet for me, so it's nice to win one."

Off as the 2-1 favorite, Infinite Wisdom paid $6.60 on a $2 win bet. He improved his career earnings to $277,077.

"The trainer told me he thought this horse would love the distance. I let him be comfortable," Ortiz said. "I didn't ask him to do anything, so I let him be where he wanted. But when I called on him, he turned it around and he was there for me. I thought I had it at the end and he won the race. Brian did a great job with him. Getting a horse ready to go a mile-and-five-eighths is not easy." 

Nessy, trained by Ian Wilkes, finished in the money for the seventh time in his last nine starts.

St. Louie, making his first stakes start since the 2015 Paradise Creek, was third, 1 ¼-lengths behind Nessy for trainer Mike Maker.

Red Rifle, Renown and Montclair completed the order of finish. Mr Singh was scratched.

Renown is trained by Elizabeth Voss, the daughter of Thomas Voss, the former trainer of Grade 1 Sword Dancer-winner John's Call, who was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame earlier this month.