Octave wins Adirondack

Pace pressure, a demanding racing surface, and perhaps a little inexperience all conspired against Magical Ride, who gave way late while finishing third to Octave in Wednesday's Grade 2, $200,000 before 20,751 at Saratoga.

Magical Ride was sent off the 4-5 favorite off a huge debut win at Belmont on July 14. Making her second start, Magical Ride broke running under Fernando Jara from post 9 and ran an opening quarter-mile in 21.83 seconds. She faced early pressure from Chagall - a stablemate of Octave's from the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher - then was pounced on by Tora around the far turn.

Magical Ride put Tora away inside the eighth pole, but Octave, who got a ground-saving trip under Garret Gomez, rallied past her inside the sixteenth pole for the 1 1/2-length victory. Longshot True Addiction rallied widest of all to get second by a half-length over Magical Ride.

"I knew they were going to double-team her," said Rusty Arnold, trainer of Magical Ride.

Octave, beaten as the 4-5 favorite in the Astoria Stakes at Belmont, gave Pletcher his first win in the Adirondack. Octave, a daughter of Unbridled's Song owned by the Starlight Stables and Donald Lucarelli, covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:19.01 and returned $20.80 to win. The final time was the slowest of 11 Adirondacks run at this distance.