Betsy Blue gets the job done in Interborough Stakes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It may not have been the blowout victory suggested by the toteboard, but it was a victory nonetheless for Betsy Blue in Saturday’s $97,000 Interborough Stakes for fillies and mares at Aqueduct.
Kept wide and in the clear throughout the seven-furlong race by Jose Lezcano, Betsy Blue, the 1-5 favorite, reeled in pacesetting Miss T Too inside the sixteenth pole and outfinished stablemate Piece of My Heart to win the Interborough by one length. Piece of My Heart was one length better than Miss T Too. The first two finishers were trained by Linda Rice.
Miss T Too, in what was expected to be her final start, finished eight lengths clear of Self Isolation. Fight to Shanghai was last. Easy to Bless was scratched.
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The victory was the 10th from 21 starts for Betsy Blue, a 5-year-old daughter of Tonalist owned by Cloud Nine Stable. She was coming off a victory in the Garland of Roses last month.
Breaking from the outside in this five-horse field, Betsy Blue was kept wide and out of trouble while Miss T Too, Self Isolation and Shanghai were duking it out on the front end through a half-mile in 47.20 seconds. Flight to Shanghai dropped out of it and Piece of My Heart took her spot on the inside. Meanwhile, Lezcano had to go four to five wide around the turn with Betsy Blue.
Miss T Too, under Eric Cancel, opened up some in the stretch, but Betsy Blue, despite not changing leads, gradually got to her and to the front.
Betsy Blue covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.94 and returned $2.60 as the favorite.
“She didn’t switch leads in the stretch today, which she usually kicks on pretty well when she does,” Rice said. “But she got the job done.”
The victory was one three on the card for Lezcano and two for Rice.
Betsy Blue has won eight races from 11 starts over Aqueduct’s main track, which is why Rice said the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap on April 7 is a goal for the mare. Options before then for Betsy Blue in New York include the Broadway Stakes on Feb. 12 for New York-breds or the Correction Stakes here on March 11. There is also the Grade 3, $250,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap at Laurel on Feb. 18.
Rice said she was really pleased with Piece of My Heart’s performance on Saturday. Because of her affinity for seven furlongs, Piece of My Heart might be a prospect for the Barbara Fritchie, Rice said.
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