Agate Road punches ticket to BC Juvenile Turf with win in Pilgrim Stakes
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The closing kick wasn’t as impressive as it was on debut, but it was equally effective.
Agate Road, for the second straight race, rallied wide down the center of the turf course, this time to win Wednesday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes at Aqueduct by 1 1/4 lengths over Fulmineo, who squeezed through horses to get second by a neck. Liam’s Journey and Spirit Prince, who caused the crowding, dead-heated for third.
Flavien Prat, the rider of Fulmineo, claimed foul against Agate Road for causing bumping in the stretch, which he felt cost him a chance to win. While Fulmineo was bumped by both Liam’s Journey and Spirit Prince, the stewards disallowed the foul claim, saying that Agate Road, under Irad Ortiz Jr., did not cause the problem, though he did come in slightly.
There also was a general stewards’ inquiry into the stretch run, but the stewards found no reason to make change regarding Spirit Prince and Liam’s Journey, saying they were equally at fault for the bumping in the stretch and they finished behind Fulmineo.
The victory by Agate Road earned him a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
His connections, trainer Todd Pletcher and owners Mike Repole and Vinnie and Teresa Viola, will hope for firmer turf than what was in play Wednesday at Aqueduct.
At Saratoga, over firm ground, Agate Road came with a strong kick to overcome a slow break and pedestrian pace to win a maiden race by a neck.
Wednesday, Agate Road broke better, but was still in the back of the field, about 7 1/2 lengths off the pace of Spirit Prince, who, under Joel Rosario, cleared the field from his outside post. Spirit Prince, chased by Tifareeh and Get Spooled, ran six furlongs in 1:11.64.
Approaching the head of the lane, Ortiz took Agate Road to the outside while Prat stayed inside hoping to find running room. Agate Road gradually gained on the leaders and stayed clear of the trouble in front of him to get the victory.
Agate Road, a son of Quality Road, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.83 and returned $6.90 as the favorite.
“Last time his kick was amazing, today he gave me a good kick, but you cannot feel that turn of foot, the ground is a little soft after all the rain” last weekend, Ortiz said. “But he got there.”
Prat felt if not for the bumping, Fulmineo could have gotten there, and he blamed Ortiz for causing the crowding.
“I was making a run and when he saw me, of course he squeezed everybody else inside of him and I took the worst of it,” Prat said. “On soft ground like this, you don’t recover.”
While Agate Road has a fees-paid berth into the Juvenile Turf, Arnaud Delacour, trainer of Fulmineo, said he would consider sending his horse to California for the Breeders’ Cup as well.
“If it makes sense, how he comes back, but why not?” Delacour said. “I was happy with his performance. He’s a bit one-paced. I’m not sure if the softish ground had something to do with it, but he came with a run.”
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