Honor Up game in Say Florida Sandy score
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Michelle Nevin continues to accrue a nice roster of sprinters.
Already armed with stakes winners Skyler’s Scramjet and My Boy Tate, Nevin sent out Honor Up for his first stakes victory, a hard-fought neck decision over Syndergaard in Saturday’s $100,000 Say Florida Sandy Stakes for New York-breds at Aqueduct. Syndergaard finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of a troubled-trip Gold for the King, the even-money favorite.
The win was the third for Honor Up from four starts since being moved to Nevin’s care by the Saratoga Seven Racing Partners after the Saratoga meet last summer.
Nevin cut Honor Up back to a dirt sprint in October and he won by 5 1/2 lengths in state-bred allowance company.
“Once we saw him really respond cutting him back in distance we just stuck with that plan, and it’s really worked out well,” said Nevin, who won last year’s Say Florida Sandy with My Boy Tate.
Honor Up received a terrific ride from Manny Franco. Breaking from the outside post in the eight-horse field, Franco gradually moved Honor Up toward the inside to save some ground down the backside. Meanwhile, Royal Asset and Jewel Can Disco were duking it out up front through an opening quarter-mile in 22.75 seconds. Syndergaard was right off them while three wide and Gold for the King was fourth, seemingly sitting pretty under Junior Alvarado.
After Jewel Can Disco faded, Syndergaard confronted Royal Asset and those two continued on through a half-mile in 46.13 with Morning Breez looming up in third. Gold for the King was still fourth biding time.
At this point, Franco was gradually advancing Honor Up to the outside.
In midstretch, after Syndergaard took a clear lead, Honor Up looked like he was going to easily go by Syndergaard. That rival fought back, but Honor Up was the stronger of the pair late and outkicked Syndergaard to the wire.
Honor Up, a 4-year-old son of To Honor and Serve, covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.56 and returned $7.10 as the second choice.
“I knew I was going to get there in the end because in the beginning of the race, he was so relaxed,” Franco said. “Once we got into the clear in the stretch, he was game.”
Gold for the King, second in this race last year, was bottled up in traffic around the turn and in upper stretch. Room developed at the eighth pole, but Alvarado said Gold for the King was reluctant to go through.
“I put him in the inside, he started to give me a kick and then he’s looking at the horses outside, put his head high up and he just didn’t want to go by on the inside,” Alvarado said.
Following Gold for the King in the order of finisher were Morning Breez, Celtic Chaos, Royal Asset, Winston’s Chance, and Jewel Can Disco. Bluegrass Express scratched.
Nevin did not have anything in mind for Honor Up’s next start though a race like the $100,000 Hollie Hughes on Feb. 18 could make sense.
Nevin will try to win another sprint stakes next Saturday when she sends out Skyler’s Scramjet in the Grade 3, $100,000 Toboggan Stakes.
