Aqueduct: Zivo rallies to beat Saratoga Snacks in Whodam Stakes

Zivo, last until the quarter pole, rallied strongly down the center of Aqueduct’s inner track under Jose Ortiz to nail the favored Saratoga Snacks at the wire and win Sunday’s $75,000 Whodam Stakes by a head.

Saratoga Snacks, who switched to his incorrect lead in deep stretch, finished second by 1 3/4 lengths over Awesome Vision. Moneyinyour Pocket, This Hard Land, Comandante, and the pacesetting Modern Child completed the order of finish.

It was the fifth win from 11 starts and the first from three stakes tries for Zivo, a 4-year-old son of True Direction owned and bred by Thomas Coleman and trained by Chad Brown. It was one of three wins on the card for Ortiz, who ranks second behind only his brother, Irad, in the jockeys’ standings.

Zivo lingered in the back of the pack while Modern Child set the pace, pursued by Comandante, with Saratoga Snacks three wide in third. Modern Child ran the opening half-mile in 48.11 seconds.

Entering the far turn, Comandante went after Modern Child, and Saratoga Snacks, ridden by Manny Franco, went after Comandante. Saratoga Snacks made the lead leaving the three-sixteenths pole but couldn’t hold off Zivo, who rallied five wide in the stretch. Saratoga Snacks, who was conceding four pounds to Zivo, did switch back to his left lead late, which didn’t help his cause.

“I was a little worried; on paper, I thought there would be a little more pace,” said Cherie DeVaux, Brown’s New York assistant. “He keeps getting better. He looks great. Through the summer, fall, and winter, he kept his weight and remained in good form.”

Zivo covered the mile over a fast track in 1:37.10 and returned $7.50 as the second choice.

A logical next spot for Zivo is the $100,000 Kings Point Handicap for New York-breds at 1 1/16 miles here Feb. 22.

Gary Sciacca, the trainer of Saratoga Snacks, was disappointed that his horse lost, but he was happy with the effort.

“He ran a good race, perfect trip,” Sciacca said. “He ran a big race, he showed up, he just got caught.”