Velora much the best in $200K Seeking the Ante
Velora remained undefeated with an impressive 2 1/4-length score under Jose Ortiz in Friday’s $200,000 Seeking the Ante, a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred juvenile fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Linda Rice for Winning Move Stable, Sabby Racing, IEE Racing, Sanford H. Robbins and Silverwood Stables, the Yaupon dark bay went to post as the 3-5 favorite off a sparking 4 3/4-length debut win August 1 here versus fellow state-breds.
“Obviously, the competition was much better today, and she was able to handle it,” Ortiz said. “We need to step forward from here, and hopefully we get another one because down the lane, she’s going to face better company.”
Cachorrita, a frontrunning debut winner last month at Canterbury Park, broke alertly from the inside post under Chris Elliott and showed the way through an opening quarter-mile in 22.41 seconds over the fast main track with Velora keeping close watch to her outside from second position and the Junior Alvarado-piloted Prime Aurora saving ground in third.
Cachorrita led the field into the turn with Ortiz sitting chilly aboard Velora and B Yutiful Carly, off a step slow under Ricardo Santana, Jr., surging into contention with a wide move as the half-mile elapsed in 46.13.
Velora cruised up alongside Cachorrita late in the turn and once straightened for home found another gear, responding to left-handed encouragement from Ortiz to power home a comfortable winner in a final time of 1:10.56.
“She’s one of those that you’ve got to get her going three or four jumps before you hit that kind of velocity, and I knew that, so I take it little by little,” Ortiz said. “Before the quarter pole, I tried to get it together and get her on the bridle and she was responding very nicely to every command I gave her. I’m very happy with her.”
Prime Aurora chased the winner home to complete the exacta by 3 3/4-lengths over B Yutiful Carly with Saint Dymphna, Cachorrita, You Are My Suzie Q and Tiara rounding out the order of finish.
The Abraham Gardea-trained Prime Aurora was a debut winner in May at Gulfstream Park and followed with a pair of stakes tries in open company here, landing third in the Listed Schuylerville in July and fifth last out in the Grade 3 Adirondack on August 2.
Alvarado said Prime Aurora would have benefitted from a more earnest pace battle.
“She ran pretty good. The pace was kind of decent; they weren’t contesting [it] much, but she gave me a good kick at the end, and I think she’s going to be OK for the New York-bred [program]. She’ll be tough next time,” Alvarado said.
Rice entered the card in second place in both the trainer and owner standings at the Spa summer meet. The veteran conditioner said it was an improved effort from Velora in the Seeking the Ante, breaking much sharper and establishing a comfortable stalking position.
“Those two horses, the two [Prime Aurora] and the six [B Yutiful Carly], looked like the real contenders. I could see they were making a run at her. I was hoping that Jose Ortiz knew that,” Rice said, with a laugh. “I said, 'Well, he's a professional, he must know they're coming.' So I was glad when he asked her to run and finish up. It was good."
Rice said Velora could step into open company next in the one-mile Grade 1, $500,000 Frizette on October 3 at Belmont Park.
"We'll obviously see how she comes out of it, see how she trains out of it, but the idea was to go to the Seeking the Ante, give her a little more experience, and I think we will pencil the Frizette in and point towards that, and see what happens," Rice said.
Bred by Vineyard Racing, Velora, a $300,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Scadadle. – a half-sister to stakes-winner Zipp On By. Her third dam, Secret Soul Mate, is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Vision and Verse and Grade 1-placed Distorted Legacy.
Velora banked $110,000 in victory and returned $3.30 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with a 12-race card featuring the Grade 3, $225,000 With Anticipation [Race 2] and the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway [Race 11], which offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
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