Maiden Beauty ($47.60) makes Lynbrook debut victory

ELMONT, N.Y. - They bet the wrong first-time starter in the Lynbrook Stakes.

While first-timer Tossup took a large amount of money to go off as the second choice in the $100,000 Lynbrook, it was the dismissed debuter Maiden Beauty who sprung the 22-1 in the race for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies on closing day at Belmont Park.

Under Joel Rosario, Maiden Beauty raced between horses while on the inside and in midpack for the opening half-mile. She found clear room in midstretch and persevered to the wire over a sealed, sloppy track to catch Tossup and Midnitesalright and win the Lynbrook by 3 1/4 lengths.

Tossup, who in midstretch was lugging in, got second by a head over Midnitesalright. It was a head back to tepid 3-1 favorite She’s Trouble in fourth. She was followed by Icy Lady, Native Dawn, Princess Pinky, and Positively Jean.

Not only was this the first race and victory for Maiden Beauty, it was the first win for her sire, Revolutionary, a multiple graded stakes winner standing at WinStar Farm and a first race and win for her ownership group of Jimmy Samartino’s Pines Stables, John Irwin, Paul Zysset, and Sam Acri. Midnight Beauty was purchased for $40,000 after she failed to meet her reserve at the OBS April sale.

“So I don’t know what I do for an encore,” winning trainer Gary Contessa said.

Contessa had some confidence that Maiden Beauty would run well after Red Zinger, a first-time starter he ran in Saturday’s Rockville Centre Stakes, finished third.

“She’s the workmate of the horse who ran third in the stakes and she kicks his [butt] regularly,” Contessa said. “I knew I had a shot because she’s been a little more focused and a little better than him.”

She’s Trouble was made the 3-1 favorite off her third-place finish in her debut, a race in which she dwelt at the break and made a mild bid. Tossup was the 7-2 second choice off some solid works and respect for trainer Rick Violette’s work with first-time starters.

Both were hampered slightly at the break when Positively Jean broke in from her outside post. She’s Trouble and Tossup were at the back of the pack.

Native Dawn, under Jose Ortiz, set a modest early pace, but was overtaken in upper stretch by Midnitesalright, who had raced second early.

Tossup, under Joe Bravo, made a five-wide move into contention around the turn while She’s Trouble, under Irad Ortiz Jr., followed her while going six wide. In upper stretch, Tossup began to lean in on Midnitesalright and it looked like She’s Trouble was revving up.

Maiden Beauty, who had raced in between horses early, found herself unencumbered at the eighth pole and gradually moved toward the leaders before drawing clear.

Maiden Beauty covered the six furlongs over the slop in 1:13.41 and returned $47.60 as the longest shot on the board.

“I was on the inside a little bit and was just looking for room to go outside,” Rosario said. “She was a first-time starter but very professional. She finished very strong and it looks like she can go a bit farther.”