Intricate Spirit takes early lead, keeps it in Paradise Creek Stakes
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The addition of blinkers helped put Intricate Spirit in the game from the outset and the speedy 3-year-old scored a front-running, 3 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Paradise Creek Stakes at Aqueduct.
Capanaparo, at 39-1 the longest shot on the board, got up for second by a neck over Chasing Freedom, a 19-1 shot.
Intricate Spirit won for the third time in seven starts. It was his first win since he captured the Grade 3 Futurity here last October with a pacepressing trip. He lost his three starts in between, races in which he did not attain a forward early position.
“Every time he runs forwardly placed, tremendous effort,” trainer Miguel Clement said. “Every time he’s taken to the back, he runs a lackluster performance. That’s what happened at the Breeders’ Cup and at Keeneland. The only instructions to Manny (Franco)… was to go forward.”
Intricate Spirit, wearing blinkers for the first time, cleared the field soon after the start, was clear by a length through a quarter in 23.02 seconds and a half-mile in 47.16. There were no real threats in the stretch as Intricate Spirit completed the six furlongs in 1:11.24. He returned $5.40 as the favorite. Intricate Spirit is a son of Complexity owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables, and Kenneth and Gail Betz.
Franco, riding Intricate Spirit for the first time, said the blinkers “helped him a lot because he broke out of there like a shot. I was able to clear the inside horses and after that I was comfortable on the lead. He had his ears pricked and I knew they’d have to run hard to pass me.”
Clement said the only thing he was worried about late in the race was if the turf course, which had taken some rain beginning midway through the card, would have an impact on the horse late.
“It was a little soft and he was in front for so long, I was worried he’d idle a bit on us, but he was good enough to overcome,” Clement said.
The Grade 3, $225,000 Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga on July 19 is a possible next target for Intricate Spirit.
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