Noted edges Reminder in Pulpit Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. completed a sweep of Saturday’s juvenile stakes over the newly renovated turf course at Gulfstream Park by driving 6-5 favorite Noted from between horses to a well-deserved neck decision over the 25-1 Reminder in the $100,000 Pulpit.

Several hours earlier, Ortiz rode Osaka to a similarly narrow and popular victory in the $100,000 Wait a While for 2-year-old fillies on the grass.

Noted was returning to the turf in the Pulpit following a disappointing performance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile five weeks earlier at Santa Anita and, as expected, dropped back to near the rear of the 10-horse field off an honest early pace set by Prevent and prompted by Tocayo.

Noted advanced to closer contention entering the stretch but found himself behind a wall of horses approaching the eighth pole before tipping out for clearance and finishing best of all down the center of the track to earn his third win in six career starts.

Reminder, making his turf debut after having made all four previous starts on the Tapeta course, trailed early, checked abruptly entering the stretch, angled out sharply nearing the furlong grounds and also finished full of run while widest of all at the end.

Palm Tree rallied to stick his head in front briefly between calls in late stretch but could not withstand the top pair. He was followed in turn by General Ledger, the rail-skimming Double Your Money, tiring Prevent, Ship to Shore, Tocayo, Summer Storm Stric and Liam’s Journey, who turned in a disappointing effort after racing a bit rankly during the early going.

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Noted, a son of Cairo Prince, had finished second beaten a nose by Can Group in the Grade 2 Bourbon at Keeneland in his previous start on turf. Trained by Todd Pletcher for owner Mike Repole, Noted completed 7 1/2 furlongs over the firm course in 1:27.30 seconds and paid $4.40.

“He had to work out a trip,” Pletcher said. “I was a little worried at the eighth pole he still looked like he was looking for room, but once he got a seam to run at, he quickened nicely. I was a little concerned about the race being a little too short for him, but he seemed to bounce out of the Breeders’ Cup well, carried good condition, is an easy horse to train and I felt like he was ready to run back.”

Pletcher said he’d likely skip the next turf race in the series for newly turned 3-year-olds in 2024 with Noted, the one-mile Dania Beach on January 6, and bring him back in the Kitten’s Joy four weeks later.

“It’s a nice series they have here (for 3-year-olds on the turf) during the winter and we have Agate Road coming out of the Breeders’ Cup, so he’ll probably run in the next one (Dania Beach),” Pletcher said. “We’ll see how it works out. We also won’t rule out trying him (Noted) back on the dirt depending on how he trains. He’s got that win in the Sapling (over Dornoch) that looks good on paper. He just didn’t fire in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Ozara completed her 2-year-old campaign the same way it began, with a hard-fought win, after holding safe a late bid from Milliat to register a neck decision in the $100,000 Wait a While.

Ozara, an Irish-bred daughter of Lope de Vega, launched her career by also rallying to a neck victory over a solid field of maiden special weight rivals last summer at Saratoga. She finished fourth in the Grade 1 Natalma and second in the Chelsey Flower at Aqueduct in two subsequent starts prior to making her local bow in the 7 1/2-furlong Wait a While.

With Ortiz aboard for the first time, Ozara broke alertly then rated between horses within easy striking distance of the pacesetting Great Venezuela. Ozara tipped out a bit wider while commencing her bid approaching the stretch, wore down the tiring leader at midstretch then withstood a late rally from Milliat.

Milliat lagged near the rear of the field during the early stages, came wide while beginning to accelerate leaving the final turn, continued willingly through the final furlong, but was not quite good enough while making just her second lifetime start and first in this country after winning her only previous outing earlier this fall in her native Ireland.

Great Venezuela succumbed gradually to finish third, less than a length behind the winner, in a promising effort while stretching out beyond 5 1/2 furlongs and trying grass for the first time in her stakes debut.

Ozara returned $3.80 after completing the distance over a firm course in 1:27.36, just .06 slower than the final time posted by the boys in the Pulpit.

“We liked this filly a lot from the beginning,” said Miguel Clement, assistant to his father, trainer Christophe Clement, who was not on hand for the race. “She won rather impressively at Saratoga. We were ambitious to run her in the Natalma and perhaps a little unlucky not to get her Grade1 black type. But she got the job done today, so that was exciting.”

The younger Clement admitted to becoming a little anxious as the race unfolded.

“There were a few nervous moments at the end, but fortunately Mr. Irad Ortiz is very good and the filly is class,” Clement said. “But I think she had plenty left at the end. She’s maturing and improving every time and I do think 7 1/2 (furlongs) and a mile is probably her best distance.”

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