Another Rice rules the day as Closethegame Sugar ($41) rallies in Mahony Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - If it’s not one Rice in the spotlight this summer at Saratoga, it’s another.

Linda Rice led all trainers in victories during the early portion of the meet and is currently second behind Chad Brown in the standings. But it was her nephew Adam Rice’s time to take center stage Sunday, shipping in from his Presque Isle base to send out two winners, including the 19-1 Closethegame Sugar, who rallied to a half-length decision over Private Creed in the afternoon's main event, the $150,000 Mahony Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf.

The training double for Rice, which began with the 8-1 Dancing Spirit in the second race, gave the 32-year-old conditioner four straight victories at Saratoga dating back to 2019, and six winners from just eight starters since sending out his first at the Spa, Don’t Be Salty, to win a maiden special weight race in August 2015.

Making just his third career start and first on grass since winning his debut in a restricted maiden special weight dash here nearly a year ago, Closethegame Sugar raced well placed in the second flight in the run down the backstretch behind embattled leaders Harry Time and Uncashed. Closethegame Sugar, with jockey Jose Lezcano aboard for the first time, was able to find ample room between horses to engage for command a furlong from the wire, stuck his head in front at midstretch and remained resolute racing near the inside to withstand Private Creed’s final surge.

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Private Creed, a two-time stakes winner on turf, raced near the rear of the field entering the stretch, came on strongly down the center of the course, but could not get to the winner while bumped briefly by Eye Witness in late stretch. The latter was last turning for home, found a narrow opening while rallying near midstretch, steadied briefly between Private Creed and No Nay Hudson in late stretch before recovering to finish third, just a length behind the winner.

No Nay Hudson struck the front in early stretch before weakening gradually while in some tight quarters nearing the wire to finish fourth as the tepid 5-2 favorite.

A claim of foul by Jose Ortiz, the rider of Eye Witness, against Private Creed for interference in deep stretch was disallowed.

Closethegame Sugar, a son of Girvin, is owned in partnership by Rice along with Sugar Diaz LLC. He returned $41.00 as the second longest price in the field after completing 5 1/2 furlongs over a “good” course in 1:02.54 seconds.

The Mahony was Rice’s second career stakes win and first at Saratoga.

“You’re reaching coming up here some days coming out of Presque Isle, but if the horses are nice, they tell you what they want to do and he’s one of my favorite horses to ride every day,” Rice said. “There’s so much fight in this horse. He gives every bit you ask of him. The first time out (last year at Saratoga) he was a little bit short and the runner-up (Webslinger) gave it to him and he still hung in. Jose (Ortiz) was really excited when he got off him (that day). And that other horse turned out to be a monster this year.”

Webslinger went over the $1 million in career earnings with his second-place finish in the Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 5.

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