Curlin's Honor takes inside route to victory in Artie Schiller Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Curlin’s Honor had won over four different surfaces and had run at distances from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. It was trainer Mark Casse’s belief, however, that the 4-year-old son of Curlin is best as a turf miler.

That belief played itself out in real time Saturday at Aqueduct as Curlin’s Honor, benefitting from a rail-skimming ride under Joel Rosario, outfinished Caribou Club to win the $150,000 Artie Schiller Stakes by a neck. It was three lengths back to favored Frontier Market in third.

Curlin’s Honor’s victory was one of two stakes wins on the day for both trainer Mark Casse and Rosario, though not together. In the race immediately preceding the Artie Schiller, Rosario won the $100,000 Pumpkin Pie for female sprinters on Saguaro Row. In the race immediately following the Artie Schiller, the Casse-trained Jack and Noah, under Jose Ortiz, beat the Rosario-ridden Embolden by 1 3/4 lengths in the $100,000 Atlantic Beach Stakes for 2-year-olds on turf.

Curlin’s Honor is a son of Curlin who sold for $1.5 million as a 2-year-old at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale in May of 2017. He won three of his first four starts – a maiden race on a fast track, an allowance over a sloppy track, and the Woodstock Stakes over synthetic.

He ended a 10-race losing streak when he won an allowance going 1 1/16 miles over Woodbine’s turf course on Oct. 6.

In that race, Curlin’s Honor was always within two lengths of the lead. In the Artie Schiller, Curlin’s Honor was eighth of nine, 13 1/2 lengths back, after a contested half-mile between Voodoo Song and Abiding Star went in 47.09 seconds.

After going three wide on the first turn, Rosario was able to save ground down the backside and around the far turn. Caribou Club, who was fifth early under Feargal Lynch, got the jump on Curlin’s Honor, made the lead in upper stretch, but could not hold off Curlin’s Honor who slipped through on the rail inside the eighth pole.

“I was away from everybody in the middle of the race, when I got to the turn I kind of just had to wait a little bit in there,” Rosario said. “Then I got lucky and everything opened up and got through.”

Curlin’s Honor, owned by John Oxley and Mike Hall and Sam Ross’s Breeze Easy Stable, covered the mile in 1:35.11 and returned $17.40 to win.

“He’s found his niche,” Casse said. “He could end up being a pretty good miler or mile-and-a-sixteenth type.”

Casse said he would consider wheeling Curlin’s Honor back in three weeks in the Grade 2, $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap going 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 30.

Jack and Noah takes Atlantic Beach

About 30 minutes after Curlin’s Honor showed a strong late foot, Jack and Noah used his early speed to record a 1 3/4-length victory over the late-running Embolden in the $100,000 Atlantic Beach for 2-year-olds.

Casse was a bit surprised with how much speed Jack and Noah showed in the Grade 3 Futurity at Belmont last time out, a race in which he set fast early fractions before fading to fourth. Casse was hoping Ortiz would be able to get Jack and Noah to relax in a race that looked like it had plenty of pace.

Breaking from post 4, Jack and Noah made a one-length lead in fractions of 22.02 for the quarter and 44.90 for the half-mile and was able to keep going en route to a 1 3/4-length victory over Embolden.

“I didn’t want him shooting to the lead,” Casse said. “Jose and I talked about it this morning. Even though he was up close to the lead, he looked very relaxed. He’s fast, what can I say?”

Said Ortiz: “It wasn’t the way we drew it up, but it worked out.”

Jack and Noah, a French-bred son of Bated Breath owned by Gary Barber, covered six furlongs over firm turf in 1:09.11 and returned $10.60 as the second choice.

Embolden, who was bottled up on the inside before getting out late, rallied for second by three-quarters of a length over So Street, a 32-1 shot who edged out 56-1 Me and Mr. C for third. Old Chestnut was fifth, followed by Montauk Daddy, Turned Aside, Fly Fly Away, Mystic Lancelot, 7-2 favorite Freewheeler, Prince of Thieves, and Axiomo.

Saguaro Row dominates Pumpkin Pie

There’s something about Joel Rosario that brings out the best in Saguaro Row.

Despite being further back than he was expecting, Rosario kept Saguaro Row outside and in the clear down the backstretch, rallied fourwide in the lane and ran by pacesetting Philanthropic at the sixteenth pole to win Saturday’s $100,000 Pumpkin Pie Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths.

Philanthropic held second by three-quarters of a length over the late-running Pink Sands. Last True Love was fourth, followed by Majestic Reason, Honor Way, and Golconda.

The Pumpkin Pie was originally scheduled for Oct. 27 at Belmont Park, but was rescheduled after the final eight races on that card were lost due to inclement weather.

The win was in the fourth from 11 starts and first in a stakes race for Saguaro Row, a 4-year-old daughter of Union Rags owned by Mark Breen and Newtown Anner Stud and trained by Michael Stidham. When Rosario rides, Saguaro Row has three wins and a second from four races.

“Sometimes that happens,” Rosario said. “I’m glad I get along with her.”

Rosario said he was a little concerned early that he was too far back and the pace wasn’t overly fast as Philanthropic went a half-mile in 46.32 seconds with Last True Love chasing from second. Saguaro Row was 5 1/2 lengths back at that point.

Saguaro Row moved into third around the turn and kept charging at the front runners before taking over inside the eighth pole.

“I was worried a little bit to be way back, but she was able overcome it and keep coming forward and get the job done,” said Rosario, who was covered in dirt despite seemingly keeping his horse out in the clear for most of the race.

Saguaro Row covered the seven furlongs in 1:25.36 and returned $10.40 to win.