Feeling Bossy holds off Fifty Five in Mount Vernon Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. - Knowing he was going to campaign Fourstar Crook against open company in 2018, owner Michael Dubb wanted something to replace the New York-bred female turf champion in stakes for that division this season.

So, last October, Dubb had trainer Jason Servis claim Feeling Bossy for $62,500 from trainer Jimmy Jerkens and owner Emily Wygod. The initial plan was to freshen her up for this year, but instead Dubb wheeled her back in 13 days and she finished seventh to Fifty Five in the Ticonderoga Stakes at Belmont Park.

On Monday, in her first start of the year, Feeling Bossy got away with an uncontested lead and defeated the late-running Fifty Five by a neck in the $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes at Belmont. It was another neck back to longshot War Canoe in third.

The win was the seventh in 16 career starts - and fifth in nine starts over Belmont’s turf - for Feeling Bossy, a 5-year-old daughter of Courageous Cat.

“The real plan was to freshen her and have her ready for the spring campaign. We knew we were going to run Fourstar Crook in different type of races this year and I was kind of looking for a New York-bred for these type of races,” Dubb said. “This horse was there and we made the move and obviously it worked out great.”

On paper, there was no speed in the Mount Vernon. Feeling Bossy broke on top under Irad Ortiz Jr. and quickly opened up a two-length advantage through a quarter in 24.26 seconds and maintained it through a half-mile in 48.77 and six furlongs in 1:12.77. Ortiz asked her for run and Feeling Bossy maintained her lead and was able to hold off the late-running Fifty Five, who had encountered traffic trouble at the five-sixteenths pole.

Feeling Bossy covered the mile over a good turf course in 1:36.42 and returned $19.20 to win.

“She broke sharp and there was not too much speed in the race, so I took it and she made me feel like I had horse all the way,” Ortiz said. “I just waited, waited, waited, and when I asked her to run she was there for me.”

One horse who wasn’t there for her rider was Tizzelle, who finished last as the 6-5 second choice. Jockey Joe Bravo said he felt something was not right with the filly.

“Nothing physically, but something internally,” Bravo said. “She was not herself, warming up she was so quiet and that’s not her.”