Finger Lakes: Rodriguez, Ferraro sweep juvenile stakes

Jockey Pedro Rodriguez, trainer Anthony Ferraro, and owner Langpap Stables swept the pair of stakes for New York-bred 2-year-olds at Finger Lakes on Monday, with Alwaysinstilettos scoring an upset in the $121,275 Lady Finger and Fox Rox delivering as the favorite in the $120,925 Aspirant.

Each horse won for the first time Monday in front-running fashion, with Alwaysinstilettos prevailing by four lengths and Fox Rox by 18 1 /4.

Alwaysinstilettos dueled with Lexi On the Cover through a quarter-mile in 22.19 seconds but had built a half-length advantage after a half-mile in 46.08 as Lexi On the Cover began to tire.

Alwaysinstilettos began to spurt away on the turn and led by 3 1/2 lengths at the head of the stretch. She maintained a comfortable lead down the stretch, finishing the six furlongs in 1:13.33 and paying $13.20 as the second choice in a field of seven fillies.

Irish Sweepstakes, the 3-10 favorite under Rajiv Maragh, rallied on the turn to get from fifth place to second but could not sustain her bid and wound up third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Noon Time Shower. Irish Sweepstakes, trained by Mark Hennig, was favored off her 7 1/4-length victory in a maiden special weight race for statebred fillies July 19 at Saratoga.

Alwaysinstilettos made her career debut Aug. 16 in a $70,000 maiden special weight race for statebreds at Saratoga and finished a distant third. The Bandini filly ran on Lasix for the first time in the Lady Finger Stakes. She’s earned $79,765.

Fox Rox was making his third career start in the Aspirant, having faced statebreds in a pair of $70,000 maiden special weight races at Saratoga this summer. He was favored in both races but finished second and fourth.

Ferraro equipped the Officer colt with blinkers for the Aspirant, and the move paid dividends, as Fox Rox quickly broke on top in the field of five. Fox Rox built a five-length lead after a quarter-mile in 22.23 and a half in 45.99. Rodriguez was careful to keep Fox Rox outside of Blue Collar Cat, who took a bad step shortly after the break and dumped jockey John Davila Jr. before continuing to run along the rail.

Entering the turn, Blue Collar Cat was in front, but when he began to bolt, Rodriguez steered Fox Rox to the inside, and Fox Rox never was challenged. He stopped the clock for six furlongs in 1:12.01 and paid $4.80. He’s earned $90,055.

Patriot Star finished second, seven lengths ahead of Television Too in third.

Finger Lakes will run three stakes for New York-bred juveniles Sept. 28, all at six furlongs: the $200,000 New York Breeders’ Futurity, the $50,000 Tin Cup Chalice, and the $50,000 Shesastonecoldfox for fillies.