Dot Matrix gets past Voodoo Song to win Ashley T. Cole

ELMONT, N.Y. – When he was beaten a neck in the West Point Stakes last month at Saratoga, Dot Matrix rallied from 14 lengths off the pace. Sunday, Dot Matrix had a far different trip, one that resulted in a victory in the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole Stakes for New York-breds at Belmont Park.

Sitting second, and always within three lengths of the pacesetting Voodoo Song, Dot Matrix outfinished that stubborn opponent to win the Cole by a half-length. It was another half-length back to Offering Plan in third.

The win was the ninth from 28 starts for Dot Matrix, a 6-year-old gelding by Freud owned by Ten Strike Racing and trained by Brad Cox.

In the West Point, Dot Matrix broke slow and the early pace was fast. In the Cole, Dot Matrix broke much better under Luis Saez and the pace was more reasonable, with Voodoo Song opening up three lengths through a half-mile in 48.14 seconds and six furlongs in 1:11.78. Saez had Dot Matrix in second.

Dot Matrix gradually gained on Voodoo Song before coming up alongside that one in upper stretch. It looked like Dot Matrix was going to easily go past Voodoo Song but the latter, a Grade 1 winner, fought back and made Dot Matrix work a little harder in the final furlong.

“At the half-mile pole, I test my horse to see how much I got, and I had a lot of horse,” Saez said. “When I came to the stretch, I just asked him to pick it up a little bit and he won easy.”

Dot Matrix covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.57 and returned $19.40 to win.

“We liked to see him a little closer than maybe he had been this year,” Cox said from Kentucky where he watched the race via simulcast. “The last race at Saratoga he didn’t break that well. I thought it worked out better today.”

Though Voodoo Song was beaten for the fifth straight time, he put forth his best effort in a year, falling just a half-length short.

“It’s nice to see him get back in the game, it was a pretty good effort, a step in the right direction,” trainer Linda Rice said.

Both Dot Matrix and Voodoo Song are likely to meet again in the $200,000 Mohawk here on Oct. 19.

Fifty Five wins Hettinger again

Fifty Five continued to exert her dominance against New York breds, kicking hard in the stretch under Javier Castellano to win Sunday’s $125,000 John Hettinger by three-quarters of a length over a late-running War Canoe. It was 2 3/4 lengths back to Wegetsdamunnys in third.

This was the second straight year Fifty Five won the Hettinger. This is also the fourth consecutive New York-bred turf stakes victory for Fifty Five, who won the Mt. Vernon here in May, as well as the Ticonderoga and Hettinger, also at Belmont, last fall. Overall, Fifty Five is 6 for 10 at Belmont.

In a race without much pace and on a firm course that has been favoring forwardly placed runners, Castellano was conscious of keeping Fifty Five closer to the pace than usual. When he asked, she still offered that same strong kick.

“I did something a little bit different today, I put her in a little more forward position, a little closer to the pace, and she was really good and comfortable,” Castellano said. “I had the best horse in the race.”

Fifty Five, a daughter of Get Stormy owned by Peter Brant and trained by Chad Brown, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.67 and returned $3.

“You don’t want to get that horse beat being too far back, he kept her a little closer and she kicked like she always does, especially here,” said Whit Beckman, assistant to Brown.

Fifty Five now has 10 wins from 21 starts and increased her earnings to $917,788.

Munchkin Money was pulled up soon after the start by Irad Ortiz Jr. after the horse had her head turned when the gates opened and broke several lengths behind the field.