My World notches first stakes victory with Nashua
?q=100)
My World backed up a sharp maiden special weight win with a stakes victory on Saturday, as he darted home in front by 3 1/2 lengths over Probably Dreaming in the $150,000 Nashua at the Belmont meet at Aqueduct.
It was another 7 1/4 lengths back in third to favorite Day One Starter.
The Nashua was a one-turn-mile race for 2-year-olds. It shared a card with the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship won by Dancing Buck ($11.70).
My World ($8.34) pushed the pace set by Tough Guy Tony, who led the field through an opening quarter in 23.33 seconds, a half-mile in 46.99 and six furlongs 1:12.18. My World took over into the stretch, turned back a bid from Probably Dreaming, and went on to cover the distance in 1:37.90.
Jaime Rodriguez was aboard the winner for trainer Brad Cox.
“I thought [Tough Guy Tony] and [Day One Starter] would go to the lead and only [Tough Guy Tony] left, so I said, ‘I’m just going to try [being forward] because [Day One Starter] didn’t get a good break,’” Rodriguez told the New York Racing Association. “I was following the good trip and when [Probably Dreaming] got next to him, he gave me a good kick at the top of the lane, and I was still loaded.”
Probably Dreaming had won all three of his starts, including two stakes, heading into the Nashua.
“I dropped my whip and when I hit, he gives me a little more,” jockey Carlos Lopez told NYRA. “He did everything right; we just didn’t have good luck.”
My World won a maiden special weight over six furlongs in his second career start Oct. 4 at Aqueduct. He covered the distance in 1:10.27.
My World is now 2 for 3 for earnings of $135,250. He is a son of champion Essential Quality, who was trained by Cox. My World races for Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables.
Dancing Buck went to the front at the start of the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship and never looked back for a half-length win over Fierce and Strong. It was another nose back in third to Knockanara.
Dancing Buck set fractions of 23.25 for the opening quarter and 46.30 for the half-mile in the six-furlong turf sprint run on firm ground. He went on to cover the distance in 1:09.45.
“I was a little bit worried about the speed in the race, but I know my horse has a lot of speed,” winning rider Luis Rivera Jr. told NYRA. “He likes the soft turf - it's been raining a lot lately - so, I said, 'let's just go the lead.' He managed to keep it up until the end.
"At the quarter-pole, I could feel the horses coming to me but he was in-hand and when I asked him, he was still there for me."
Dancing Buck is a 7-year-old son of War Dancer who races for J & N Stable and Diamond M Stables. He is trained by Michelle Nevin.
Dancing Buck has now won 8 of 26 starts for earnings of $699,588.
Racing resumes Sunday.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.