Just Read It holds off Exogen to take Cicada Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Just Read It rebounded from a non-effort in the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at Turfway Park last month with a head victory over longshot Exogen in Saturday’s $100,000 Cicada Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

Stalking the pacesetting favorite Save from second, Just Read It took the lead at the three-sixteenths pole and then desperately held off Exogen, who was rallying along the rail, for the win. It was 5 3/4 lengths back to Save, the 4-5 favorite, in third. Salt Plage finished last of four. Irish Constitution was scratched.

Ray Handal, the trainer of Just Read It, said he had the Cicada in mind for his filly after she won her maiden here by 6 1/4 lengths on Jan. 31. Since he had purchased the daughter of Constitution based on her workout over a synthetic surface at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales last year, Handal thought he could sneak in the Cincinnati Trophy over Turfway’s surface before the Cicada. But the OBS synthetic was a Polytrack, while the one at Turfway was Tapeta, and Just Read It finished a distant sixth at Turfway.

:: Bet horse racing on DRF Bets. Double Your First Deposit Up to $250. Join Now.

Handal said if Just Read It shipped back to New York in good order, he would proceed with his plan to run in the Cicada.

“She came up here and she actually got bigger and stronger,” Handal said. “It’s just the time of the year these young horses are developing and changing. No Lasix, plus just a non-effort, ... she had a lot in the tank; she was telling me she was ready to run.”

When Handal scratched Irish Constitution, that seemed to leave Save as the lone speed. But jockey Dylan Davis made sure to put Just Read It into the race and she was a half-length off Save through a quarter in 23.12 seconds and a half-mile in 47.66. Just Read It left Save in upper stretch and then held off Exogen.

Just Read It, owned by Ken Russell, Brown Road Racing and Handal, covered the six furlongs in 1:12.81 and returned $8.20 to win.

“She broke well, she put me there great, she was on the bridle and then she was able to settle nicely into the turn,” Davis said “I was just a little worried about some closers. She picked up great down the stretch and with [Manny] Franco coming up the rail I had to keep her on it, keep her focused and she was able to get there.”

Save, who won her first two starts at Fair Grounds, was a big disappointment finishing third.

“The track was a little deep coming from Fair Grounds,” jockey Kendrick Carmouche said. “She was struggling with the racetrack.”

Handal said he scratched Irish Constitution - who had won an allowance eight days ago - in part because “it just looked like tactically it wasn’t going to work in her favor,” he said.