Morley and Castellano's Poker plan works pefectly
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Tom Morley and jockey Javier Castellano met early Thursday morning to go over a game plan for how to approach the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Saratoga with their horse Donegal Momentum.
Later in the morning, after scratches came out - and Filo Di Arianna was withdrawn - Morley called Castellano to discuss a new plan.
“Go to the lead, dictate the pace, you got the speed in the race,” Castellano said Morley told him. “I think you can go wire to wire.”
And that’s basically what he did.
Able to clear the field rather easily going into the first turn of the one-mile race, Donegal Momentum took his six rivals on a futile chase around Saratoga’s inner turf course to record a front-running, 1 3/4-length victory in the $300,000 Poker. Intellect, the 5-2 favorite, who was well back and needed more pace than was provided, rallied for second, three-quarters of a length over Major Dude.
Cameo Performance finished fourth and was followed by Depiction, Sherlock’s Jewel, and Mischievous Angel.
Filo Di Arianna was scratched by trainer Mark Casse, because he “wasn’t 100 percent this morning,” said Casse, who believes the horse might have kicked the stall.
“When Mark came out this morning it changed the dynamics of the race enormously,” Morley said. “When Mark was in the race I thought we were probably going to end up sitting second and then you’re in the difficult position of letting a horse who’s a good horse have the lead.”
Castellano didn’t have to send Donegal Momentum hard to make the lead. Instead, Castellano was able to gradually maneuver him from his outside draw to make a one-length lead through a quarter in 24.34 seconds and a half-mile in 48.09.
Donegal Momentum was still clear through six furlongs in 1:11.53 and had plenty left to kick on through the lane, not giving any of his pursuers a chance. Donegal Momentum, a 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo owned by Donegal Racing, covered the mile over firm ground in 1:34.22 and returned $8.60 as the third choice.
“When he came out it made it a lot easier for us that we had the fastest horse in the race,” Morley said. “There were a couple of horses that probably needed a strong gallop. This horse is exceptionally fast. When he quickens, he really does quicken.”
It was the first graded stakes win for Donegal Momentum, who improved his record to 5 for 10, including a win in the listed Gio Ponti last October at Aqueduct. Morley will look to keep Donegal Momentum racing one mile on firm ground with Saratoga races like the Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso on July 5 and the Grade 1, $750,000 Fourstardave on Aug. 2 as candidates for his next start.
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