In Italian wins Just a Game in a waltz

ELMONT, N.Y. -- A year ago in the Just a Game Stakes, In Italian got involved in a hot pace duel and faded to third while her stablemate Regal Glory won the race.

Friday, there was no one who could run with In Italian early and she rolled to a 3 3/4-length victory as the 1-5 favorite in the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game at Belmont.

In front three strides out of the gate and placed well off the rail by Irad Ortiz Jr., In Italian was clear through a quarter in 24.47 seconds and a half-mile in 47.95. When Spendarella tried to run at her at the quarter pole, In Italian had plenty left and ran away from that rival.

Spendarella, who stumbled at the break under Tyler Gaffalione, finished second by a length over Wakanaka. New Year’s Eve and Speak of the Devil completed the order of finish.

It was the fourth Grade 1 win for In Italian from her last five Grade 1 starts. Her one loss was a second to Tuesday in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

:: DRF Belmont Stakes Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more.

The victory was the sixth in the last seven years in the Just a Game for trainer Chad Brown. It was the second straight win for owner Peter Brant, who owned last year’s winner, Regal Glory, and who owned Just a Game, the champion turf mare of 1980 for whom this race is named.

“She’s probably as good as anyone we’ve ever had, and that’s saying something,” Brant said of In Italian, a 5-year-old Great Britain-bred daughter of Dubawi.

Brown said the plan was for Ortiz to get to the front and get off the rail “so the horses behind her had to make a decision. Either you’re going to challenge a very fast horse pretty wide, or you’re going to go up inside of her, which is not a great option either. Irad executed that well.”

Ortiz said In Italian would go too fast if she’s too close to the rail.

:: Get ready for summer racing with a DRF Formulator Quarterly PP plan

“I was able to stay a little outside, don’t be close to the rail and try to relax her,” Ortiz said. “She knows when she gets close to the rail it’s time to run.”

In Italian ran a mile in 1:34.00 over firm turf, good for a 103 Beyer Speed Figure, and returned $2.40 to win.

In Italian will now point to the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga on July 15. In Italian won her first Grade 1 in last year’s Diana.

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