Change of Control holds off Too Sexy in Autumn Days
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Change of Control rode the rail the entire way around the Aqueduct turf course under Colby Hernandez and scored a three-quarter-length victory over a wide-rallying Too Sexy in Sunday’s $150,000 Autumn Days.
It was the fourth stakes win of the year for Change of Control, who won the Grade 3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County at Keeneland last month, the Grade 3 Intercontinental at Belmont in June, and the listed Unbridled Sydney, also at Keeneland, in April.
It was the 5-year-old mare’s ninth win from 31 starts and pushed her career earnings to $739,275. It also made a winner out of trainer Michelle Lovell with her first Aqueduct starter. The win capped a huge week for the Kentucky-based Lovell, as she won Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day Classic at Fair Grounds with Just Might.
“I’m beside myself, it’s been a great week, it’s been a great year,” Lovell said by phone from Kentucky, where she was attempting to add to her stable via the claim box at Churchill Downs.
On Sunday, Change of Control broke from the rail and Hernandez was looking to pop her to the outside. But he didn’t have the room to do that, so he kept the mare on the inside, just a little more than a length behind the pacesetting Athwaaq, who was being stalked by Raven’s Cry through a half-mile in 46.28 seconds.
Athwaaq drifted off the rail turning for home and that allowed Hernandez to scoot Change of Control on through the opening. She made the lead at the eighth pole and was able to outfinish Too Sexy, the 6-5 favorite, who was rallying four wide under Jose Lezcano.
“She gave us a good break and we were right there and then I tried to pop out and run second, they weren’t letting me out,” said Hernandez, who was making his Aqueduct debut. “Then I see the horse on the front, it looked like he was going to come out at the top of the stretch and I stayed there and it ended up working out perfect.”
Too Sexy finished second by a length over a slow-starting Love and Thunder. Miss Majorette was fourth, followed by Piedi Bianchi, Athwaaq, Raven’s Cry and Secure Connection.
Change of Control, a 5-year-old daughter of Fed Biz owned by Perry Harrison, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.14 over turf labeled firm and returned $9.90 as the second choice.
“I think she just keeps getting better and stronger,” Lovell said. “She’s so confident. That was a really good effort. She’s so pushbutton and her and Colby are a perfect team. He really, really loves that filly.”
Lovell said Change of Control is expected to remain in training in 2022.
Vergara holds off She’s a Mia in Tepin
Vergara overcame a slight bobble at the break and a bit of immaturity to win Sunday’s $100,000 Tepin Stakes for 2-year-old fillies by three-quarters of a length over longshot She’s a Mia.
The win gave trainer Graham Motion and jockey Luis Saez a sweep of the weekend turf stakes for 2-year-olds. They teamed up to win Saturday’s Central Park Stakes with Sy Dog.
Vergara may have benefitted from the stamina-building maiden win she had going 1 1/8 miles at Laurel Park on Oct. 24.
After bobbling at the break, she took up an inside position under Saez, while longshots Tasweya and Solib sparred on the lead. Midway down the backstretch, Saez took Vergara off the inside and into the three path and she had to come four wide in the lane. But Vergara persevered to the wire and was able to outfinish She’s a Mia, a 25-1 shot who was rallying along the rail under Jalon Samuel. She’s a Mia got second by a neck over Mischievous Kiss, who was a length better than Caironi, the 9-5 favorite.
Anador, Solib, Determined Star, Lourella Street, Tasweya and Kingdom Queen completed the order of finish.
“She broke pretty bad, after the second jump she was right there,” Saez said. “She was running a little green. At the three-eighths, she was coming behind heels but when she came to the stretch, she started running and it was a good run.”
Vergara, a daughter of Noble Mission owned by Gary Broad, covered the 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf course in 1:44.50 and returned $14.60 to win.
“I didn’t necessarily want to run her a mile and an eighth last time, but it’s the way the races came up at Laurel and I’m always supportive of the longer races,” Motion said.
Speaking of Sunday’s poor start, Motion said, “she recovered quickly and her [inside] post was probably a blessing. I’ve always liked this filly, she just does things so easily.”
Motion said both Vergara and Sy Dog would winter in South Florida, but that he would not be in a hurry to run either back too soon in the new year.