Royal Posse / NYRA Photo

Royal Posse's stretch-drive surge wins Alydar

by Jill O'Brien

Royal Posse overtook Touchofstarquality in the stretch to post a 1 ¼-length victory in Sunday's $100,000 Alydar for 4-year-olds and up at Saratoga Race Course. 

Touchofstarquality set fractions of 24.36, 48.77, 1:13.86 and 1:37.19. Under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Royal Posse, who was well-placed just behind the leader on the inside, gained on the front-runner coming out of the final turn. Ortiz switched to a left-handed whip and Royal Posse responded for his second win in the last four starts and third straight at 1 1/8 miles.

It was the third win of the day for Ortiz, the meet's leading rider. Royal Posse, the 6-1 choice, finished in 1:49.93 over a fast main track and returned $13.60 on a $2 win wager. He improved his career earnings to $661,245.

"The horse loves Saratoga and the two turns. You can see it today. He's a winning horse," Ortiz said. "I just wanted to be a little closer [to the pace] and he put me there. He's a fighter. He always shows up." 

The Rudy Rodriguez-trained 5-year-old gelding has four wins in six career starts at the Spa, including his first stakes victory in last year's Evan Shipman for New York-breds. 

"The last couple times we ran him over here at Saratoga, he grinds the horses down, especially when he has a target. He gives everything he has and he showed it today." Rodriguez said.

"That's why we claimed him because we know he wants to go a mile and an eighth and he really showed that he wants to be a two-turn horse," he added. "Our horse broke very, very good today and he was chasing the horse in front. We know he loves the mile and an eighth and we know he loves Saratoga, so that's why we tried to point him for this race and it paid off. He's a very, very honest horse and he always tries."

The Alydar was the first loss in four career starts for Far From Over, the 4-5 favorite, in a field of seven. The Todd Pletcher-trained 4-year-old broke poorly and never recovered, finishing sixth. 

"You feel bad for the connections of Far From Over but it was good for us," Rodriguez said. "He's still a very nice horse, we were just lucky to come out in front." 

Mylute, the runner-up in last year's Alydar, finished third. Honorable Duty, Island Town, Far From Over and Natchez completed the order of finish.