Bottas takes care of business in Pilgrim to earn Breeders' Cup berth
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Bottas is named for a Formula One driver. Valtteri Bottas hopes the cars he drives have the gears the 2-year-old colt named for him seems to possess.
After saving all the ground early under Manny Franco, Bottas tipped outside for the stretch and got brushed by a horse to his inside in midstretch, but he was still able to outfinish Heeere’s Johnny to win Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes by a head at Aqueduct. It was another length back to Let’s Be Frank in third.
The win gave trainer Miguel Clement a sweep of the two Breeders’ Cup Challenge turf stakes run at Aqueduct Friday, as an hour earlier Clement sent out Intricate Spirit to win the Grade 3 Futurity for 2-year-old sprinters. Intricate Spirit earned a fees-paid trip to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, while Bottas earned the same for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Both races are on Oct. 31 at Del Mar.
Clement said earlier in the week that Bottas was his best 2-year-old, and he pretty much confirmed that on Friday with his second straight fast-closing victory.
“He shows gears which you don’t see often on the turf,” Clement said. “He’s able to accelerate and accelerate again at the top of the stretch to get there. He was very impressive.”
When Bottas won his debut at Saratoga, he rallied from last in a six-horse field. Friday, he was in mid-pack, within five lengths of the pace, while racing on the inside under Manny Franco. The pace, set by Truman’s Commander, was a tepid 48.58 seconds for a half-mile and 1:13.10 for six furlongs.
Approaching the top of the stretch, Franco got Bottas off the fence and was inside of Heeere’s Johnny, who, under Javier Castellano, was widest of all in the lane. In midstretch, a green and rallying Capital Partner ducked in and then ducked out, the latter move brushing with Bottas. With Heeere’s Johnny at his throatlatch, and despite racing on his left lead, Bottas outfinished him to get the victory.
“Great trip,” Clement said. “Manny got a great position. He wasn’t as far back today. I knew he was hindered once or twice in the stretch, but he was in the right position and Manny was able to get the job done. He’s a very good horse.”
Franco, who was riding Bottas for the first time, said he was surprised how close he was to the pace early on in the race.
“I was happy the way he was taking me. I was happy with the way he was traveling early in the race,” Franco said. “I was just happy to get the room when I needed it. I had a little bit of a seam at the quarter pole because Javier was outside of me, so my horse got the spot that I wanted. He was fighting with the horse outside, but I knew I was going to have more.”
Bottas, a son of Vekoma owned by Dahman, the stable name of Qatar businessman Abdulhadi Mana Al-Hajri, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.62 and returned $4.48 as the favorite.
Though Heeere’s Johnny got squeezed a little at the break, Castellano said that didn’t affect his horse’s performance.
“I don’t think it really bothered the trip. I think we both had a good trip. He had more acceleration when he got through at the eighth pole. He got the jump in between horses and we hooked up and I think they’re both really good,” Castellano said.
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