Lady Ivanka's perfect trip finishes with Spinaway triumph
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Lady Ivanka parlayed a classic perfect trip behind a hotly contested pace into a three-quarter-length victory over the late-running Maya Malibu in the $350,000, Grade 1 Spinaway on Saturday at Saratoga.
Trainer Rudy Rodriguez schooled Lady Ivanka when working his undefeated 2-year-old filly behind horses in her final breeze for the Spinaway earlier this week, then watched as the race unfolded in a similar manner, with the 3-5 Separationofpowers and graded stakes winner Pure Silver dueling each other into submission on the lead. Lady Ivanka sat just behind the embattled speedsters to the stretch, angled three wide to ultimately gain a short advantage inside the eighth pole before edging away late from Maya Malibu.
Maya Malibu, outrun early, slipped along the rail to join Lady Ivanka nearing midstretch, but proved no match in the end. Both Separationofpowers and Pure Silver tired badly from their early efforts, finishing third and fourth respectively with longshot Obvious Two bringing up the rear in the five-horse field.
Lady Ivanka, a daughter of Tiz Wonderful, was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and paid $12.40. Her final time over a fast track was 1:24.97.
“The race set up the way we expected,” Rodriguez said. “I was not confident at all turning for home because I saw the other horse (Maya Malibu) coming inside. I was concerned, but thank God she held on.”
Rodriguez said he has no immediate plans for Lady Ivanka’s next start, but said he does feel she’ll be able to stretch out in the future.
“She’s got a very good mind, she was just sitting there behind horses, the same way she’s been doing it in the morning all the time,” Rodriguez said.
Trainer Chad Brown said he felt drawing the inside post compromised the chances of Separationofpowers.
“She got hounded all the way, did all the dirty work,” Brown said. "I’m proud of her, she worked hard, but it’s just not a good situation to be drawn inside of a real fast horse like Purse Silver.”
