Americanrevolution powerful in Albany victory; Byhubbyhellomoney upsets Fleet Indian
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Americanrevolution followed his dominant victory in last month’s New York Derby at Finger Lakes with another strong performance Friday at Saratoga, running away from pacesetter Bobby Bo to win the $250,000 Albany Stakes by five lengths.
Bobby Bo, the Bob Baffert trainee who shipped in from California, finished 11 1/2 lengths clear of It’s a Gamble.
Our Man Mike was fourth, followed by Anejo, Joey Loose Lips, It’s Gravy, and Bingo John. Purple Hearted scratched.
The Albany was the richest of 11 races restricted to New York breds - six stakes - on New York Showcase Day at Saratoga.
Americanrevolution, who won last month’s New York Derby by 7 1/4 lengths, was about five lengths off the pace in fifth under Luis Saez. Meanwhile, Bobby Bo, under Flavien Prat, was about two lengths clear through a quarter in 23.49 seconds, a half in 47.33, and six furlongs in 1:11.89.
Saez was able to gradually advance Americanrevolution along the inside and was in second approaching the quarter pole. Saez tipped Americanrevolution to the outside turning for home and was able to collar Bobby Bo in mid-stretch before drawing away.
“I thought we’d be a little closer to the pacesetter, but got a little traffic, a little dirt going around the first turn,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “But he came away in good position turning up the backside and continued to improve his spot, seemed like he was always traveling well.”
Americanrevolution, owned by Winstar Farm and China Horse Club, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.94 and returned $3.40 as the odds-on choice.
Fleet Indian: Byhubbyhellomoney gives 83-year-old trainer a stakes win
Byhubbyhellomoney rallied along the inside under Joel Rosario to outfinish a hard-luck Make Mischief to win the $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by a neck.
Byhubbyhellomoney saved all the ground under Rosario while in fourth, then slipped through an opening along the rail when the pacesetter Pay Grade came off the fence turning for home. Rosario was able to guide the filly through the opening and outfinish a four-wide rallying Make Mischief, who finished second by 1 1/2 lengths over Pay Grade.
It appeared that Make Mischief, under Irad Ortiz Jr., had broken through her stall door just before the official start of the race and she landed flat-footed as the others were moving forward.
The stewards, who did not post the inquiry sign, later issued a statement through NYRA publicity: “In the opinion of the stewards, Make Mischief did not gain an unfair advantage at the start of race 7. The stewards reviewed the incident and determined that it did not alter the outcome of the race. As such, there was no action taken.”
Ortiz said the assistant starter “was holding her” when the doors opened. “She [lost] it at the start,” he said.
Steve Shapiro, who races under the name Jupiter Stable, claimed Byhubbyhellomoney for $40,000 out of a six-furlong turf race that she won at Belmont Park on June 20. Both Shapiro and trainer Bob Dunham said the filly’s breeding suggested Byhubbyhellomoney could handle routing on dirt. She was by Effinex, two-time winner of the Grade 2 Suburban, and her dam, Shocking Behavior was a sister to a multiple route stakes winner.
“The way she trains, the way she reaches out when she gallops, and the way she’s bred,” Dunham said. “She’s bred to go long.”
For Dunham, 83, it was his first stakes win since Big Brown Eyes in the 1990 Yaddo. Dunham is best known as the trainer of 1972 sprint champion Chou Croute and was an assistant to William Molter when he trained Round Table.
Make Mischief was sent off the 4-5 favorite as she was dropping in class out of several graded stakes tries. After the flat-footed start, she was four wide entering the first turn and four wide entering the second turn.
She ran on well to finish second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Pay Grade, who was followed, in order, by A Bit o’Irish Sass, U Guys Are No Fun, Epona’s Dream, and Coffee Bar.
Byhubbyhellomoney completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.07 and returned $28.40.
A previous version of this article misstated trainer Bob Dunham's last stakes victory. It was Big Brown Eyes in the 1990 Yaddo, not Moment of Hope in the 1987 Stuyvesant.