Jan's Reserve rallies to upset in King's Swan

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Jan’s Reserve made quite the impressive fast-track debut Friday at Aqueduct, taking advantage of a hotly contested pace between the two favorites and rolling to a 7 1/2-length victory in the $147,000 King’s Swan Stakes for 2-year-olds at odds of 21-1.

Jan’s Reserve, ridden by Joel Rosario, was aided by a speed duel between even-money favorite Spooked Out and 6-5 second choice Mo for the Money. Racing side by side far off the rail, they set fractions of 21.94 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.60 for the opening half of the six-furlong race.

Jan’s Reserve, guided to the rail down the backside, was 10 lengths off the pace after the opening quarter and five lengths back after the opening half. Approaching the quarter pole, Rosario guided him to the outside and he cruised past the dueling leaders by the eighth pole.

He finished 7 1/2 lengths ahead of Sallisaw, who dove to the rail in the stretch. Sallisaw, who bumped with Spooked Out at the start, finished five lengths in front of third-place finisher Mo for the Money, who was 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Spooked Out. In R Defence, a 42-1 shot, was last.

Jan’s Reserve, a son of Ready’s Image, ran six furlongs in 1:10.43 over a fast track. He paid $44.40 to win.

Jan’s Reserve had made his last three starts on turf, winning a seven-furlong maiden race at Belmont on Oct. 17. But he had been training well enough on the dirt to give this a shot, according to trainer Michael Dilger.

“He was handling it way better in the fall than he was in the spring,” Dilger said.

Dilger was hopeful the race would set up like it did. “I didn’t think we’d be as far back” early on, he said.

Jan’s Reserve will likely be sent to south Florida for the winter. Dilger said Rosario told him Jan’s Reserve “might” stretch out.

"There are a lot of opportunities for a one-turn horse,” Dilger said.