Iron Orchard much the best in $150K Seeking the Ante
Edward Childs and R. A. Hill Stable’s Iron Orchard made every pole a winning one to capture Friday’s $150,000 Seeking the Ante, a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Danny Gargan, the Authentic dark bay graduated on debut in a restricted 5 1/2-furlong maiden tilt here by a geared-down 5 1/2-lengths and replicated that effort in her stakes debut under returning Hall of Fame rider Joel Rosario, this time scoring by an eased-up 6 3/4-lengths.
“She is fast,” Rosario said. “She did her thing. It looked like it was pretty easy. It looked like she ran really well. She did good up front.”
Iron Orchard brushed the outside of the stall, but still broke to the front from post 3-of-6 and set splits of 22.27 seconds and 45.36 over the fast main track while pressed by the Luis Saez-piloted maiden winner Grazie, one of two entrants for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, to her outside. Oriole Way, at 22-1 under Eliseo Ruiz, advanced up the rail as Iron Orchard spun them in but there was no reeling in the leader, who scored in a final time of 1:10.68. Oriole Way completed the exacta by 2 3/4-lengths over Grazie with Shakti, the Pletcher-trained Angel Gift and Dopamine rounding out the order of finish.
“I think she ran better today. She had more competition today,” Gargan said. “Todd sent [and] chased us, which you’re supposed to. I wanted to see how she’d react to that – he [Luis Saez aboard Grazie] got up on her and she was cruising easy I thought the whole way… she finished better today. She kicked away, but she was a little green the first time kicking away. Today, she leveled off. She’s talented.”
Iron Orchard earned a field-best 75 Beyer Speed Figure for her frontrunning debut on July 3 in a maiden sprint restricted to New York-breds or horses that sold or RNA'd for $60,000 or less in their most recent sale.
Gargan indicated Iron Orchard is likely to stretch out next in the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette on October 4 at Belmont at the Big A. The one-turn mile offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.
“I wanted to get one more race in her before we take on the open company, so there’s a big chance I run her there,” Gargan said. “I think going a mile, she’ll break and when horses come to her, she gets faster. She does it so easy, so we’ll see who’s all going to show up there, but that’s what we’ll point her towards and hopefully we end up there.”
Ruiz said the Felix Flores-Coba-trained Oriole Way was game in defeat.
“My filly broke so sharp from the gate. She tried to follow the speed, but she couldn’t,” Ruiz said. “That horse was a monster, but we did well in behind. I’m happy with her. That was a good placing, second race, longshot against a horse on her home track. She ran great.”
Iron Orchard was purchased for $500,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where she worked in 9.4. She is out of the multiple stakes-placed Brethren mare Onebrethatatime, who is a half-sister to Grade 3-winner Wonderlandbynight.
Bred by Pine Ridge Stable, Iron Orchard banked $82,500 in victory while maintaining a perfect 2-for-2 record. She returned $3.50 for a $2 win bet as the mutuel favorite.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with a 14-race card headlined by the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers [Race 13, approx. 6:14 p.m. Eastern]. The Travers is one of five Grade 1s scheduled for Saturday’s lucrative program, including the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial in Race 10 and three top-level Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifiers with the Forego [Dirt Mile] in Race 12, Resorts World Casino Ballerina [Filly and Mare Sprint] in Race 11 and the Personal Ensign [Distaff] in Race 9. The card is supported by the Grade 2, $400,000 Lake Placid in Race 7.
First post on Saturday’s card is 11:10 a.m. Eastern with gates opening to the public at 9:00 a.m. A special DraftKings Travers Day edition of Saratoga Live will air on FS2 beginning at noon. FOX Saratoga Saturday will present live coverage and analysis of the DraftKings Travers Day stakes action beginning at 3 p.m.
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