Marketsegmentation takes advantage of easy lead in New York Stakes
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ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown entered Marketsegmentation in Friday’s Grade 1 New York Stakes at Belmont Park with two possible scenarios in mind.
First, the filly, certainly on the improve, looked to potentially be the controlling speed in the field. Second, if Marketsegmentation couldn’t carry her speed the 1 1/4 miles of the race, Brown had three other horses who could potentially benefit from her setting the pace, including McKulick, like Marketsegmentation, owned by Seth Klarman.
Marketsegmentation was able to make an easy lead under Jose Ortiz, and none of Brown’s other three runners nor anybody else could catch her as she won the $600,000 New York Stakes by three-quarters of a length.
Didia, a winner of seven consecutive races coming into the New York, got up for second, 1 3/4 lengths over the Brown-trained McKulick. Flirting Bridge finished fourth, followed by Virginia Joy, War Like Goddess, the 3-5 favorite, and Shantisara.
With The Moonlight was scratched after she was found to have mucous in her trachea following a training session Wednesday, according to assistant trainer Chris Connett.
Brown said Marketsegmentation was a last-minute entry when he realized the New York lacked pace.
“She was put in there to win, but I also wanted to potentially have control of the pace in the race,” said Brown, who won the New York for the fourth time in six years, and fifth overall. “I don’t want to be at the mercy of another loose speed horse compromising my closers, so I put a quality horse in here that’s on the improve, that had Grade 1 potential to establish the pace and give her a fair shot to win as well.”
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With Ortiz riding her for the first time, Marketsegmentation opened up a two-length lead through a quarter in 24.56 seconds, a half-mile in 50.26, and six furlongs in 1:15.29.
Shantisara, one of Brown’s other three horses, was chasing from second, with Didia in third.
Marketsegmentation was still basically unchallenged coming into the stretch and had more than enough to hold off Didia.
Marketsegmentation, a daughter of American Pharoah, covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.12 over firm turf and returned $14.20 to win. She earned a 96 Beyer.
“She always showed speed, she always relaxes on the lead, and there was no pace in the race,” Ortiz said. “I went out there and took the lead and took them out of the race early and she relaxed very well. We were able to set some slow fractions and on the backside I felt very comfortable.”
Didia was making her first start in a North America Grade 1 stakes and acquitted herself quite well, at least to her trainer Ignacio Correas IV.
“Happy with her, she proved that she’s good, that she belongs here,” Correas said. “If you want to win a Grade 1 on the grass, you need to beat Chad Brown. I tried three times, I cannot do it yet. Yet.”
War Like Goddess, who had won 10 of 14 career starts, could not overcome the slow pace or the 1 1/4 miles, which is a little shorter than her best distance. She finished sixth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths.
“They walked the dog on the front end and slowed it down,” said Bill Mott, trainer of War Like Goddess. “She was making up a little ground but grinding more than her normal coming home in 22 seconds.”
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