Bossmakinbossmoves starts late, finishes fast to win Albany Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- It was a bad start but a beautiful finish for Bossmakinbossmoves, who rallied from last of four under Irad Ortiz Jr. to win Friday’s $232,500 Albany Handicap for New York-bred 3-year-olds by three lengths at Saratoga.
Barese, the New York Derby winner at Finger Lakes, finished second by 1 1/4 lengths over pacesetting Montebello. Price Discipline, who beat Bossmakinbossmoves by 2 1/2 lengths in an allowance race here on July 28, finished last as the 7-5 favorite. Relate scratched.
The win was just the second from 12 starts for Bossmakinbossmoves, a son of Laoban owned by Clear Stars Stable, Mitre Box Stable, and Richard Schosberg, the latter also the trainer of the gelding. The victory set off a raucous celebration in the winner’s circle, with many of the Clear Stars Stable members in attendance.
:: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more
Michael Sternklar, the managing partner of Clear Star Stable, said of all of his partnerships stakes victories, “this is the best because it’s Saratoga and frankly no one thought he was going to win,” he said.
The rains that came about 30 minutes before the first race may have helped Bossmakinbossmoves, who had won his maiden by 9 3/4 lengths in the mud at Aqueduct last Dec. 31 and was second with his best Beyer Speed Figure, an 84, in an allowance here on July 28.
Bossmakinbossmoves was tossing his head in the starting gate and it caused him to jump up at the start. It was of little concern to Schosberg, who expected the horse to be last early on.
Bossmakinbossmoves was within four lengths of the pace after a half-mile run in 48.34 seconds. Bossmakinbossmoves closed to the dueling leaders, Montebello and Barese, at the head of the lane. When Ortiz tipped him to the outside, Bossmakinbossmoves rallied by those two and drew clear for the three-length score.
“Our plan was to let the speed go and make the last move, so I didn’t panic,” Ortiz said. “I let the horse get his stride, let him do his thing and then he was moving on his own at the half-mile and he was moving good. I tipped him out and the horse was ready to run.”
At 6-1, Bossmakinbossmoves was the longest price of the quartet and returned $15 to win. Bossmakinbossmoves covered the 1 1/8 miles in the slop in 1:51.29.
“He had momentum on the turn. I knew coming down the lane he doesn’t have any stop in him once he gets going,” Schosberg said. “It was just a matter of whether those horses in front of him could get the distance and they couldn’t.”
Fingal’s Cave ($3.60) takes Fleet Indian
After three dominant victories to begin her career, Fingal’s Cave showed she could win a tussle as well, chasing and finally passing pacesetting Let Her Inspire U to win the $194,000 Fleet Indian Stakes by a half-length.
Let Her Inspire U, in her first race beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, finished second by 4 3/4 lengths over Venti Valentine. Shesascoldasice and Galaxina completed the order of finish.
Fingal’s Cave, a daughter of Carpe Diem improved her record to 4 for 4 for owner Ailfyfe Racing and trainer David Donk.
“It took her awhile to get going but she’s a nice horse, she dug down deep, and she was good enough today,” Donk said. “I’ll be curious of the speed figures out of the race. She did run over a sealed racetrack. I told Jose [Ortiz] good horses run over anything. Listen, she won.”
Ortiz said every time he made a run at John Velazquez on Let Her Inspire U, that horse kept going.
“It was very hard for me to engage him. Finally I got head-and-head with him and I felt my filly had run a mile and an eighth before, that filly hadn’t,” Ortiz said. “I rode her with a lot of confidence from the eighth pole to the wire.”
Fingal’s Cave covered the 1 1/8 miles over a muddy main track in 1:51.59 and returned $3.60 as the favorite.