Navarro turns up another ace in Mahony

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Trainer Jorge Navarro may have the fastest 3-year-old sprinters on both surfaces.

Ten days after sending out Shancelot to win the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes by 12 1/2 lengths on dirt, Navarro shipped in Archidust, who ran away and hid from seven rivals to win Wednesday’s inaugural $100,000 Mahony Stakes by three lengths at Saratoga.

The win was the fourth from eight career starts for Archidust, who is now 2 for 2 on turf.

“Different horse [on turf], and I’m not even going to knock him on dirt, I think he’s matured,” Navarro said. “I think he was just a big baby, he didn’t figure out what he was doing. Even the way he works now, he does everything so easy. He always trained like a good horse.”

Archidust, a son Verrazano, brought $300,000 as a 2-year-old in training. He is owned by Ivan Rodriguez and Albert and Michelle Crawford, the same connections as Shancelot.

While Shancelot used his speed to win gate to wire, Archidust was the recipient of a stalking trip under Javier Castellano. Fully Loaded, under Tyler Gaffalione, ran an opening quarter in 22.44 seconds while being chased by Pyron and Neverland Rock.

Castellano had Archidust in fourth early then third and three wide entering the far turn. He crept outside of Fully Loaded and Neverland Rock turning for home, then turned on the afterburners in the final furlong to get the victory.

“I let those two horses go to dictate the pace, and I just kept track from the outside. It was a perfect dream trip for any jockey,” Castellano said.

With the temporary rails out 27 feet, Archidust covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:00.80, just .57 off the course record set by Leinster last Friday.

“We worked him on the turf at Palm Meadows and there were some quick workouts at Palm Meadows. We were just waiting on the turf for him and it paid off,” Navarro said.

Neverland Rock finished second by two lengths over Pyron. Following him in the order of finish were Elektronic, The Black Album, Fully Loaded, Uncle Benny, and Dumph.

Uncle Benny was making his first start since he finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs. He stumbled badly at the start of the Mahony.

“He stumbled bad and when I tried to put him into the race he got a little keen,” jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said. “Then, I tried to hold him and relax him and finish. He was looking around a little bit, first time coming back off the layoff.”