Green Up surges past Frank's Rockette in stretch to take Pumpkin Pie

Green Up moved past Frank’s Rockette in the stretch and went on to a 4 1/4-length win Sunday in the $135,000 Pumpkin Pie at Aqueduct.

It was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Into Happiness.

The field was scratched down to four with the defection of Royal Meghan.

The Pumpkin Pie was a seven-furlong race for fillies and mares and it likely was the career finale for Frank’s Rockette, her breeder and owner, Frank Fletcher, said prior to the race on Friday. She is a 10-time stakes winner who earned $1.5 million. Fletcher said plans are to send Frank's Rockette to the breeding shed in 2024.

Green Up ($5.30) sat off leader Kant Hurry Love, who set fractions of 23.94 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.97 for the half-mile, with 1-2 favorite Frank’s Rockette in close pursuit. Green Up advanced as Frank’s Rockette moved to the fore, with the eventual winner working her way past the new leader and going to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:23.22.

“There wasn't much speed today, so I thought if I broke well, I was going to keep it as close I can,” winning rider John Velazquez told the New York Racing Association. “And once I got to the outside of them, I pressed the pace because that's the only way I would beat [Frank’s Rockette] today and it worked out. Once I got past and was going away, I was able to ease up on her.”

Todd Pletcher trains Green Up for Team Valor International.

The daughter of Upstart was winning the third stakes race of her career and is now 5 for 8 for earnings of $376.098.