Betsy Blue continues Rice's domination of Bouwerie; River Dog takes Mike Lee
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Linda Rice continued her recent domination of the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes, winning the race for the fifth time in the last six years, when former claimer Betsy Blue rallied to a convincing 5 1/4-length victory over Secret Love in the seven-furlong dash for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies.
Rice won the Bouwerie for the first time in 2016 with Flatterywillgetyou and then successfully defended her title the next three years with Holiday Disguise (2017), Midnight Disguise (2018), and Newly Minted (2019). Trainer Jeremiah Englehart snapped Rice’s streak a year ago with Critical Value.
Rice claimed Betsy Blue in the interests of Cloud Nine Stable LLC out of a winning effort for $50,000 at Aqueduct on March 25. The daughter of Tonalist returned quick dividends for her new connections by capturing a $50,000 starter-allowance race by a hard-fought nose three weeks later. Both races, like the Bouwerie on Monday, were decided over a wet track.
With Irad Ortiz Jr. once again aboard, Betsy Blue saved ground while racing within easy striking distance of the early leaders, swung three wide to commence her bid entering the stretch, readily overtook Secret Love a furlong from the wire, then drew off readily under strong handling.
Secret Love, the 3-2 favorite, stalked the pace of 52-1 outsider Beach Banker, gained command leaving the turn but proved no match for the winner while easily second best. Beach Banker held on gamely, holding off Rainbow Gal to finish third.
Betsy Blue, who has won four straight races since finishing second under a $40,000 claiming tag when launching her career at Aqueduct on Jan. 9, completed seven furlongs over a muddy and sealed track in 1:24.33. She paid $8.10.
“I knew I’d won this race a few times but until Maggie [Wolfendale] told me in the winner’s circle, I didn’t realize how many,” said Rice, who admitted she was a little disappointed in Betsy Blue’s previous effort despite her popular victory against high-priced starter-allowance company on April 15.
“Irad and I both commented that even though she won last time, neither of us were too impressed with her performance,” Rice admitted. “We both thought she’d move forward off her previous race and she didn’t. But a little shorter distance and probably more so the running style made the difference today.
“She likes to be covered early and tip out, and once she did she really came home with a much improved run.”
Mike Lee: River Dog impresses again
River Dog proved his one-sided victory in his career debut here earlier this month was no fluke when returning to register a similarly easy and very popular 1 3/4-length decision over Market Alert in the $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes.
River Dog, a 3-year-old New York bred son of Twirling Candy, stalked a rapid early pace set by the more experienced stakes winner Excellent Timing, who set rapid splits of 22.32 and 44.84 for the opening half-mile over the sealed and muddy strip. River Dog easily gained control entering the stretch, quickly leaving Excellent Timing in his wake while kept to task by jockey Jose Ortiz to the end.
Market Alert lagged well off the early leaders, eased out for the drive and finished willingly to be second best despite not switching leads until late stretch.
River Dog, trained by Jeremiah Englehart for owner-breeder Robert Hahn, covered seven panels in 1:23.38 and returned $3.60.
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“This is a horse who gives you a lot of confidence, he’s got a lot of swagger,” said Englehart. “He’s a colt, he’s all boy, and he lets you know he’s kind of the big horse in the barn. When I put him on the trailer yesterday he just looked really good. Even today, in the warm-up, he went through two saddle adjustments and didn’t turn a hair. It’s nice when they make it that easy for you.”
Englehart said he did have some concern over the wet conditions that River Dog had to deal with for the first time.
“Mostly because it was drying out late in the day and when it’s like this it can be very taxing on horses, and if you’re up close like he was you kind of worry late in the race, but he held on,” said Englehart.
Englehart believes River Dog does not have any distance limitations at this point.
“I think he’s going to go out there and do whatever he needs to do,” Englehart noted. “Jose [Ortiz] said when the other horse [Market Alert] came up alongside him on the gallop-out, he kind of took off again. I’d love to see him be a classic-type horse and that’s what we’re hopefully going to do here pretty soon, test him in that regard and see how he handles it.”