Ballagh Rocks pays off in Lure Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Ballagh Rocks was not on the original nomination list and had to be supplemented into Monday’s Lure Stakes at a cost of $1,000. He turned that investment into a big payday, registering a 2 ¼-length victory over pacesetting Largent in the $85,000 overnight stakes on the final day of the 2020 Saratoga meet.
Ballagh Rocks, at 7 the oldest member of the five-horse Lure field, finished ninth in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Mile and second in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile to open his 2018 campaign. But he had won just once in seven subsequent starts while coming off a pair of frustrating second-place finishes against higher-level allowance and optional-claiming competition coming into the Lure.
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With Junior Alvarado aboard, Ballagh Rocks broke alertly before easing back off the pace of Largent, engaged the leader turning into the stretch, readily took command, and edged clear leaving the furlong marker. Largent remained a length clear of Devamani to finish second. Breaking the Rules and Olympico rounded out the order of finish.
Owned in partnership by Donegal Racing and Madaket Stables LLC, Ballagh Rocks paid $17 as the longest price in the lineup. Final time for 1 1/16 miles over the firm turf was 1:40.23.
“I had him in a two-other-than optional claimer that came off the turf, we scratched, and I had no place to run him,” Mott said about the decision to supplement Ballagh Rocks to the Lure. “He was doing good and I started looking at the race and said why not put him in here? I just felt why not give him a shot? They don’t give milk and they don’t lay eggs. You’ve got to run.”
Mott acknowledged Ballagh Rocks had come off tough defeats in his last two outings.
“He ran his heart out the last two races and just got touched off the last couple of times,” said Mott. “He’s just a cool old horse. We’ve had him since he was a baby. We went to the Breeders’ Cup with him one time. Actually he had kind of a troubled trip and didn’t get beat that far for the whole thing. He’s been a hard-knocker. Junior rode him just like we wanted, the race went just like we thought.”