Coglianese /NYRA Photo Photo

Sue's Fortune pays off in G2 Adirondack

by Najja Thompson

Fortune Farm's Sue Fortune made a winning move coming from off the pace and held on in the the final yards to earn her first graded stakes victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

Breaking from post 6 with Junior Alvarado in the irons, Sue Fortune stalked comfortably from fifth position as 7-5 post time favorite Lyrical Lady led the field of six through swift fractions of 21.72 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.53 for the half.

At the three-eighths pole, Alvarado shifted Sue Fortune to the four-path to assume the lead as Lyrical Lady began to regress. Set in a full out drive at the quarter-pole, Sue Fortune extended away in the stretch and held off a late charge from Virginia Eloise to win by a half-length.

She completed the 6 ½-furlong distance in 1:19.83 on the main track listed as good.

"It was Plan B," said Alvarado. "We tried to go with Plan A, which was hoping she broke like last. She broke good, but not as sharp as last time. We wanted to put a little pressure early, though. I was sitting in a perfect position, by the three-eighths pole, she started pulling me. I saw horses struggling and I saw horses coming near, so I thought I had to take a shot at that point, let my filly go and hope she would hold. It worked out."

Returning $9.10 for a $2 win wager, the New York-bred Jump Start filly is now 2-for-2 following an impressive 8 ½-length win on July 5 at Belmont Park. The victory boosted her career earnings to $147,200.

"I think the biggest thing for her is her first race," said winning trainer Jeremiah Englehart. "She goes out she takes the lead and she runs away. This race she stalked. She's a racehorse. Now we just have to find out when she's right for her next race and try to find what the next spot is going to be. For her to settle off the pace this time and close, she wants to run. She's won on the lead [and] she's won off the lead, so hopefully now we can get her to relax even more and finish strong as well."

Following Virginia Eloise in second were Guacamole, Mucho Amor, Lyrical Lady and Grandma Gertie.