Exulting wins Artie Schiller Stakes; Backtohisroots takes Atlantic Beach

It took Exulting seven races and more than a year and a half to win his first allowance but only one race to win his first stakes, doing so Saturday in the $146,025, off-the-turf Artie Schiller at Aqueduct.

Much improved this year as a 5-year-old, illustrated by a couple of allowance triumphs during the summer and a third-place finish in his last race at Belmont on Sept. 22, Exulting took advantage of astute placement Saturday as a main-track-only entrant by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Eight horses were scratched when the Artie Schiller was moved from turf to the main track, including seven from initial body of the field, leaving a depleted cast.

The outcome of the Artie Schiller was never in doubt. Always well positioned by Rajiv Maragh, Exulting settled off pacesetter Black Tide after initial fractions of 23.59 seconds and 47.09 in the one-mile race, took command with six furlongs in 1:12.31, and maintained a clear advantage over the final quarter-mile. He finished 2 1/2 lengths in front.

Swishing his tail upon whipping from Maragh, he completed a mile on a “good” track in 1:37.97. A Tapit gelding owned by Godolphin, he paid $3.10 as the overwhelming favorite.

“It’s nice to pick up a stakes win with him, and he’ll most likely stay for the winter,” said McLaughlin, mentioning the Dec. 22 Queens County at Aqueduct as a target.

Backsideofthemoon, another horse with dirt experience, ran second while never a danger to the winner. He finished 2 3/4 lengths in front of Black Tide, who was followed by Profiteer in last.

A couple of races before the Artie Schiller, Backtohisroots scored his first stakes victory in the $97,300 Atlantic Beach, another off-the-turf stakes race.

Showing more speed than in his prior start, when a closing second in the Futurity on grass at Belmont on Oct. 7, Backtohisroots was always prominent under Luis Saez. He chased Neverland Rock through an opening quarter in 21.99, took an inside path on the turn to take command with a half in 46.28, and then extended his lead down the lane.

Despite not switching leads down the stretch, he drew away by 5 3/4 lengths, stopping the clock in 1:13.15. He paid $5.10 as the second favorite in a field reduced to five following a couple of scratches.

“He wasn’t running over his preferred surface because he moved up big time on the turf last out, and that’s going to be in his future,” winning trainer John Terranova said.

With the $55,000 winner’s share for the Atlantic Beach, Backtohisroots more than recouped the $50,000 for which he was claimed at Saratoga this summer. A 2-year-old son of Mark Valeski, he has now won two of five starts and $122,380, with $88,500 of that total coming for current owner Gatsas Stables.

The favored Absentee checked in a distant second, 2 3/4 lengths in front of third-place Wallace. Honorable Hero and Neverland Rock completed the order of finish.

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