Arrest Me Red holds off Pulsate in Aqueduct Turf Sprint

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The 3-year-old Arrest Me Red, benefitting from a key late scratch, was able to control the early pace and then fend off a late challenge from Pulsate to win the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship by a neck at Aqueduct on Saturday.

On paper, Arrest Me Red and Grateful Bred looked like the two primary speed horses in the 10-horse field for the six-furlong turf race. But Grateful Bred broke through the gate prior to the official start of the race. Though he didn’t run off, Grateful Bred suffered a laceration on his left hind leg, according to Dr. Anthony Verderosa, director of NYRA’s veterinarians, and was scratched by order of the stewards.

“That was a huge scratch for me,” said Paco Lopez, who rode Arrest Me Red. “They let me go very easy the first quarter. Big difference when that horse scratched.”

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Arrest Me Red, who was scratched out of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint due to a foot issue, was able to make the lead Saturday by running an opening quarter in 22.69 seconds with Turned Aside - last year’s Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship winner - and Backtohisroots in chase mode. Pulsate sat a ground-saving fourth behind Manny Franco.

Arrest Me Red maintained a measured length advantage through a half-mile in 45.60 seconds. Lopez, who looked behind him three times in the stretch, used just a vigorous hand ride to outfinish Pulsate, who was trying to rally along the rail.

Arrest Me Red, a 3-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile owned by Lael Stable and trained by Wesley Ward, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.43 over a course labeled firm and returned $6.50 as the second choice.

“The other horse come inside of me and I pressured him a little bit,” Lopez said. “I did not even hit my horse. I rode like I was at Monmouth Park, no whip.”

For Pulsate, it was the third consecutive stakes race in which he finished second. Franco said in the stretch “I have the room to go through and my horse just hesitated a little bit.”

Pulsate finished second by 1 3/4 lengths over Chewing Gum. Backtohisroots was fourth, followed by Value Proposition - the 9-5 favorite - Big Package, Maxwell Esquire, Omaha City, and Turned Aside.

Sy Dog gets up in Central Park

Sy Dog, seemingly hopelessly beaten at the top of the stretch, rallied under Luis Saez and came out on the right side of a bob to win the $100,000 Central Park Stakes by a nose over Ohtwoohthreefive.

Jockey Luis Saez said Sy Dog wasn’t handling the turf early while lingering at the back of the pack and “was a little lost’” at the head of the stretch.

“But he really made a nice move when he switched his leads and he got there in time,” Saez said.

Sy Dog, a son of Slumber owned by Head of Plains Partners and trained by Graham Motion, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.42 and returned $5.80. It was his second win in as many starts. He was sent off the favorite off a visually impressive four-length maiden win at Belmont on Oct. 24.

“You never know in the maiden races what you’re up against,” Motion told the New York Racing Association publicity department. “He’s made some of my other 2-year-olds look slow in the morning because he does things so easily. He’s very classy.”

Ohtwohthreefive finished a length in front of Maseta. General Ken was fourth, followed by Grand Sonata, Geno, Wise Me Home, and Trust Daddy.