Crupi lands Pletcher his third straight Suburban victory

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With six of the seven members of the field strung out within a length or so of one another at the three-sixteenths pole, Saturday’s $350,000 Suburban looked like anybody’s race. But with the momentum he had built up after rallying from last and fanning widest into the stretch, in the end Crupi left no doubt who was best this day, over-taking the 4-5 favorite Bendoog to register a half-length victory in the Grade 2 fixture decided for the first time in its storied history at Saratoga Racecourse.

Making his first start since finishing a well-beaten and non-threatening tenth in the Dubai World Cup, Crupi settled, as expected, at the rear of the field for the opening six furlongs of the 1 1/4-mile Suburban. With jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for the first time, Crupi began to advance readily outside horses midway on the second turn. He then swung extremely wide around a wall of rivals for clearance into the stretch, with a continued surge well out in the middle of the course, before finally over-taking a game Bendoog 40 yards from the wire.

Bendoog was hung wide around the first turn, rated within easy striking distance of the pace-setting Kuchar, stuck his head in front before a mile, and fended off several challengers through midstretch but could not resist the winner. Masqueparade rallied five wide off the turn while between horses, loomed boldly through midstretch but lacked the necessary final response, finishing third, a neck back of Bendoog. Time for Trouble was fourth followed in close order by the tiring Kuchar and Signator. Good Skate lost contact with the field after six furlongs, was eased in early stretch, and ultimately vanned off the course.

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Per the New York Racing Association’s Veterinary Department Director, Good Skate lost action and was provided a van ride back to the barn as a precaution. The horse did not present any obvious or apparent injury upon initial evaluation.

Crupi is owned by the partnership of Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable and gave trainer Todd Pletcher his third consecutive win in the Suburban and fourth overall. Charge It, who won the race a year ago at Belmont Park, was entered to defend that title on Saturday but scratched the morning of the race.

Crupi completed the distance in 2:02.71 seconds and paid $7.10. Crupi was given a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He’s still kind of putting things together,” said Pletcher. “You could see him coming by the wire the first time, even though he was climbing a little bit from the kickback, he was a little more engaged and got a little closer.”

Pletcher said his main concern coming into the race was the lack of pace in the field.

“He’s not the kind of horse you can really change his style, he’s the type of horse who likes to make one late run,” Pletcher noted. “We had to sacrifice some ground on the far turn to get him in the clear and he kept coming. He showed a lot of heart for the win.”

Pletcher quipped that Crupi had run so badly in Dubai, the race didn’t really take anything out of him.

“He shipped back really well, we took our time, he probably could have been ready a little earlier but we wanted to be conservative and wait for this,” Pletcher explained. Pletcher mentioned the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup at the end of the Saratoga meet as a possible goal for Crupi along with the Whitney, which is decided at 1 1/8 miles earlier in the session.

Trainer Bill Mott was pleased with the effort by Boondog.

“He ran well, he had a decent trip,” Mott began. “He kept trying. He got the distance, but just barely. Coming around the first turn he was three wide but he came from the outside post. It’s just what happens. But he really had no chance to tuck in.”

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