Elite Power, after Vosburgh win, targets Breeders' Cup Sprint
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Elite Power will likely be pointed to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint following his 5 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh at Aqueduct.
Elite Power earned a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint by virtue of the Vosburgh victory, which was Elite power’s first appearance in a stakes race. Overall, it was Elite Power’s fourth consecutive victory.
“It looked like, just visually, this race was pretty easy for him,” trainer Bill Mott said. “Jose [Lezcano] said he was just loafing. He showed him the whip and away he went.”
Mott said he spoke with Garrett O’Rourke, the general manager of Juddmonte, which owns Elite Power, and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint is very much in play.
“He didn’t think there was any big drawback to it,” Mott said.
Due to a slow pace, Elite Power won the Vosburgh attending the pace. In his three previous wins, he came from off the pace when it was much quicker, which is a likely scenario in the BC Sprint.
“That’s his game,” Mott said.
Elite Power covered the seven furlongs of the Vosburgh in 1:23.98 and earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
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You’re My Girl to supplement to Juvenile Fillies
In 2000, Mike Gatsas put up $360,000 to supplement Gander to the Breeders’ Cup Classic and walked away with nothing as the New York-bred gelding finished ninth, 12 3-4 lengths behind Tiznow.
Twenty-two years later, Gatsas is ready put up another hefty fee to participate in the Breeders’ Cup. At least this time he has partners. Gatsas, Hidden Brook Farm and Randy Hill will pay a $100,000 supplemental fee to run You’re My Girl in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 4 at Keeneland, Gatsas said Sunday.
“I’m not a big fan doing that, I did it with Gander one time but she deserves a shot,” Gatsas said. “I think she ran really well against a really nice filly. We want to go, we’re game to go. That’s the fun part of racing is running in November at Keeneland.”
You’re My Girl, a New York-bred daughter of Overanalyze trained by John Terranova, won her debut on Sept. 2 at Saratoga by 14 1-2 lengths. She made her next start in the Frizette, run over a sloppy track, where she finished second, one length behind Chocolate Gelato, and 2 3-4 lengths in front of the Grade 1 Spinaway winner Leave No Track.
“I was hoping we didn’t get on the rail in that last race with all that water,” Gatsas said.
Gatsas said Terranova told him You’re My Girl has come out of the race really well.
“Numbers-wise, she fits with everybody,” Gatsas said.
Trainer Phil Serpe said Leave No Trace will also continue on to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Leave No Trace had some trouble at the gate and Serpe believes she did not the sloppy track.
“She popped the gate, hit the side of the gate leaving there and I don’t think she loved that track a whole lot,” Serpe said. “It seemed like she wasn’t picking up a lot of ground in the stretch on that track for some reason.”