Go Deputy gets stakes in Bowling Green
ELMONT, N.Y. - Go Deputy overcame a wide trip and a pedestrian pace to win the first stakes of his career, taking Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 by one-half length over longshot Crown Point before 7,047 at Belmont Park.
It was three lengths back to Leadwithyourchin in third. Gigli and Rochester completed the order of finish. Request for Parole scratched.
A 6-year-old son of Deputy Minister, Go Deputy prefers to make a late run, but with no pace in the Bowling Green, jockey Fernando Jara was forced to put Go Deputy into the race. He stalked Gigli through a mile in 1:42.62 while racing three wide.
At the three-eighths pole, Jara asked Go Deputy to make his move. Go Deputy put away Gigli inside the eighth pole and had enough to fend off Crown Point, who was making his first start in 7 1/2 months. Go Deputy ($3.40), owned by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer and trained by Todd Pletcher, covered the 1 3/8 miles over firm turf in 2:17.49.
"This horse has had a reputation of losing the field a little bit and getting a little too far behind," said assistant trainer Seth Benzel. "The only we thing said was, 'Fernando, keep him well in contact with the field.' He was kind of forced to go up there and press the pace, and that was a great decision. That probably won the race."
It was one of four winners on the card for Jara, who earlier this meet won the Belmont Stakes aboard Jazil and the Suburban Handicap aboard Invasor.
Irish Actress: On the Bus wins in foal
On the Bus, who is in foal to turf champion Kitten's Joy, won the $68,500 Irish Actress Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares by 1 3/4 lengths over Half Heaven.
Owner and breeder Ken Ramsey said On the Bus was the first mare to get in foal to Kitten's Joy, and the resulting foal, regardless of gender, will be named Kitten in the Bus.
On the Bus could make one more start at Saratoga, in the Aug. 19 Yaddo, a race she won last year. Ridden Saturday by Heberto Castillo Jr., On the Bus ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.12 and returned $31.40 to win.