Lady Rocket blasts off and never slows down in Go for Wand
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - A mile proved no issue for Lady Rocket in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Go for Wand Handicap at Aqueduct. Put on the lead by Irad Ortiz Jr. soon after the start, Lady Rocket shed token pressure from Miss Marissa and cruised to a nine-length victory.
California invader Bella Vita, a stalking presence, finished second, 4 3/4 lengths in front of Truth Hurts. Sharp Starr, last year’s Go for Wand winner, finished fourth followed by Honor Way and Miss Marissa. So Darn Hot scratched.
A claim of foul against Bella Vita from Chad Summers, the trainer of third-place finisher Truth Hurts, was quickly dismissed.
The win was the sixth from 11 career starts for Lady Rocket, a 4-year-old daughter of Tale of the Cat owned by Frank Fletcher Racing and Ten Strike Racing. She is trained by Brad Cox.
Lady Rocket was trying the mile for the first time in her career. Her last three victories had come at seven furlongs, including a narrow triumph in the faster of two divisions of the Pumpkin Pie Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 31.
Ortiz thought the key to Lady Rocket getting the mile was getting her to relax early. To do that, he placed her in the middle of the track down the backside, well outside of Miss Marissa. Lady Rocket had a half-length lead over Miss Marissa through a half-mile in 46.54 seconds.
Entering the far turn, Ortiz guided Lady Rocket to the inside as Miss Marissa began to retreat. Bella Vita, third early, moved into second, but when Ortiz shook his filly up turning for home, she spurted clear and won relatively easily.
“The only question mark was the mile,” Ortiz said. “I break without using too much and she came back to me before the three-quarters, and I took a long, good hold of her and she waited for my call. When I wake her up at the quarter pole she took off.”
Lady Rocket covered the mile in 1:36.52 and returned $4.40 as the favorite.
Sharp Starr rallied from last and won the Empire Distaff under Jose Ortiz in her previous start. Ortiz said he wanted to keep her closer to the pace in the Go for Wand.
“I knew if I wanted to win I’d have to be a little bit closer today, and that probably took away some of the kick we had,” Ortiz said. “I don’t think it would have mattered for the win, but we could have got a bigger check if I would have sat early on, but I rode to win.”