Aqueduct: Lovely Amanda romps

JAMAICA, N.Y. - After sitting a perfect stalking trip under Javier Castellano, Lovely Amanda assumed the lead leaving the three-sixteenths pole and galloped to a 7 3/4-length victory in the $81,000 Montauk Handicap for New York-bred fillies and mares at Aqueduct.

Too Scarlet, who set the pace while facing only mild pressure from Along Came Mary, settled for second, 2 1/2 lengths clear of Along Came Mary. Last year's Montauk winner, Pentatonic, the 6-5 favorite and 123-pound highweight, finished a non-threatening fourth.

Lovely Amanda ($9.60) covered the nine furlongs in 1:51.96.

It was the first stakes victory for Lovely Amanda, a 4-year-old daughter of Belong to Me owned by Robert Pierz and Peter McCann and trained by Todd Pletcher. It was the meet-leading 13th victory for Pletcher, who took the main track trainer's title by three wins over Shug McGaughey and Christophe Clement.