English Soul gets first stakes win in East View

English Soul faced some early pace pressure and handled a fast track for the first time as she galloped to a 2 3/4-length victory in Sunday’s $100,000 East View Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

The victory was the third in as many starts on dirt for English Soul and her first in a stakes race. She gave trainer Ray Handal his first stakes win after going out on his own three years ago.

“It’s just amazing, hard to put into words,” Handal, 28, said. “I felt so much emotion when they hit the wire. I wanted to jump and cry; I didn’t know what to do, so I just sat there in complete silence.”

English Soul was ridden by Manny Franco, who on Saturday won the Jerome Stakes aboard the 3-year-old Firenze Fire.

The East View was originally scheduled for Dec. 28, when these horses were 2-year-olds. It was going to be rescheduled for Jan. 7, but that card was never drawn as cold weather forced the New York Racing Association to cancel seven consecutive cards.

The delay didn’t seem to bother English Soul. She broke alertly from the rail and was guided to the front by Franco, who kept the filly in the 3 path down the backside. Cryinthemoonlight, under Dylan Davis, raced within a half-length of English Soul through a quarter in 23.96 seconds, a half-mile in 48.74, and six furlongs in 1:15.18.

At the three-sixteenths pole, Cryinthemoonlight weakened, while English Soul kept on going and drew away. A green Midnight Disguise rallied for second, five lengths in front of Cryinthemoonlight.

English Soul, a daughter of English Channel owned by Zilla Racing Stables, covered the mile in 1:42.32 and returned $5.60 as the 9-5 favorite.

“I went to the lead and tried to slow it down as best I could,” Franco said. “She responded pretty good. She fights. She doesn’t let other horses pass easy. She relaxed great for me. I just put my hands down, and she put her ears up. She did everything on her own.”

English Soul had won her previous two starts by a combined 21 1/4 lengths.

“The way it worked out with her breaking so well, it was nice to have something to keep her a little occupied and competitive through the race,” Handal said.

Had the East View been run on Dec. 28 as scheduled, Handal would have run English Soul back in the Busanda Stakes at 1 1/8 miles. But the Busanda is next Sunday, so Handal likely will run English Soul back in the $200,000 Busher Stakes, a one-turn mile on March 3.