Get Jets by a nose in Ashley T. Cole Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – The future of the New York-bred male turf division is in good hands with the likes of Get Jets and Call Provision, who both put in strong efforts Sunday at Belmont Park, with Get Jets edging Call Provision by a nose in the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole Stakes.

It was three-quarters of a length back to the 8-year-old Kharafa, a three-time winner of the Cole who had a dream trip along the inside but couldn’t outrun his 4-year-old counterparts.

For Get Jets, the win was his fourth in six tries on turf and his second consecutive stakes success. He also won the West Point for New York-breds at Saratoga by a half-length over Offering Plan.

Under John Velazquez, Get Jets sat in fourth while All is Number set a pedestrian pace, stalked by Pat On the Back and Cloontia. Gets Jets had Kharafa and Call Provision behind him, and Velazquez knew those were the two horses to beat.

Call Provision, under Irad Ortiz Jr., launched a wide bid outside of Get Jets while Kharafa, under Joe Bravo, found room along the inside and punched through. In deep stretch, the race had come down to Get Jets and Call Provision. Get Jets seemed emboldened by the challenge and outlasted Call Provision to the wire.

Get Jets, a son of Scat Daddy owned by the Team D Stable headed by trainer Tony Dutrow, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:47.74 and returned $3.90 as the 4-5 favorite.

“As soon as we got head-and-head and I got after him, [Call Provision] was not going to pass him,” Velazquez said. “I like that feeling when you have horse underneath you and you get after a horse and the horse is giving it to you and they put up a really good fight.”

Said Dutrow: “Jets needs somebody there to make him run because he’ll pull up if he makes the lead too early.”

Chad Brown, the trainer of Call Provision, who lost for the first time against New York-breds in four tries, said his horse was just second-best.

“The one-two finishers both had an equal chance, and [Get Jets] just found more,” Brown said.

Get Jets likely will skip the $200,000 Mohawk Stakes at Belmont on Oct. 21 because Dutrow wants to stretch the horse out in distance in the Grade 3, $200,000 Red Smith, at 1 3/8 miles at Aqueduct on Nov. 11.