Halina's Forte rallies past Ghalia Princess to take Ruthless Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Halina’s Forte took advantage of her experience, a contested pace, and a track that favored outside runners to rally past Ghalia Princess and win Saturday’s $100,000 Ruthless Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

Ghalia Princess, who put away a pace challenge from Reconcile a half-mile into the seven-furlong race, finished second, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Value Area. It was 10 lengths back to Low Society, who was followed by Reconcile, Tiarella, and Most of All.

The win was the second in four starts for Halina’s Forte, who had finished second in both the Ferns Creek at Churchill Downs and the Letellier Memorial at Fair Grounds.

In each of those races, Halina’s Forte got away from the gate sharp, then dropped back into a stalking position and came on again. In the Letellier, she encountered some traffic trouble at the quarter pole. Saturday, Cancel said his goal was to keep Halina’s Forte in the clear.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.

“She broke very well, I wasn’t scared of what position I could get with her, I just wanted to have a clean trip where I had no trouble with her because she had a little trouble last time and I think that really cost her a lot,” Cancel said. “Today, that wasn’t the case. I kept her in the clear, once I started asking her she just started picking it up.”

Halina’s Forte, a daughter of Mitole owned by Rigney Racing and trained by Phil Bauer, covered the seven furlongs over a good track in 1:26.26 and returned $6.20 as the favorite.

Bauer, in an interview with the New York Racing Association, said he told Cancel not to be fooled by Halina’s Forte’s gate speed.

“Don’t let her fool you into thinking you have to get hooked into something,” Bauer said. “He played it well and let the speed develop. I think the seven-eighths was good for her to get into a rhythm and punch home.”

Ghalia’s Princess, trained by Brad Cox, was coming off a maiden victory in her lone start Jan. 27 at Fair Grounds. She ran well in her first start facing winners, but was just second best.

“She went a little quicker than we were hoping for, she was doing it comfortably but had to work for it early,” said Dustin Dugas, assistant to trainer Brad Cox. “We just got run down by another good filly.”

Bauer said Halina’s Forte will ship back to Kentucky on Sunday and likely make her next start either at Keeneland in April or Churchill Downs.

Security Code takes Broadway

Security Code got a similar trip as did Halina’s Forte received as she rallied wide and from off the pace to win the $100,000 Broadway Stakes for New York-bred older females by a neck over Venti Valentine.

It was 1 1/4 lengths back Kant Hurry Love in third. Sweetest Princess was fourth, followed by Gone and Forgotten, Majestic Return, and Golden Rocket. Bustin Bay was scratched to run Monday in an allowance race.

Security Code, a 4-year-old daughter of Frosted owned by WellSpring Stables and trained by Phil Serpe, won for the fifth time from 19 starts. It was her first stakes victory in her seventh try in such a race. She pushed her career earnings to $419,316.

“She’s a horse owner’s ATM. She really just turns it out,” Serpe said by phone from South Florida where he watched the race. “As an older horse she keeps improving a couple of notches. She’s tough and keeps getting a little bit tougher and she’s consistent.”

Jockey Jose Lezcano had Security Code in a perfect spot early on, sitting third behind Majestic Return and Kant Hurry Love, who were heads apart after a half-mile in 47.23 seconds over a harrowed track rated good.

Kant Hurry Love put away Majestic Return and kept an inside path while Lezcano stayed out and even took Security Code a path wider in the lane. Security Code ran by Kant Hurry Love inside the sixteenth pole and outlasted Venti Valentine to the wire.

“She’s more comfortable when she’s outside horses,” Lezcano said in an interview with NYRA. “I put her in the clear and she took me from there. When I asked her at the quarter pole, she kept running.”

Security Code covered the seven furlongs in 1:26.77 and returned $13.80 to win.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.