Oleksandra goes last to first in Poker Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. - On Father’s Day, it was a mother-to-be who stole the show at Belmont Park.

Oleksandra, a 7-year-old mare in foal to Into Mischief, rallied down the center of Belmont’s Widener turf course under Joel Rosario and outfinished 3-5 favorite Raging Bull to win the Poker by a head.

It was quite the career finale for Oleksandra, an Australian-bred mare by Animal Kingdom who last year won the Grade 1 Jaipur, also against males, by a neck. Oleksandra was scheduled to run in this year’s Jaipur, run two weeks ago here, but the turf was softer than she prefers so her connections scratched her out of the race.

On Sunday, the turf was firm and the pace was fast, both of which played into the late-running Oleksandra’s favor.

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Get Smokin, Raased and Tell Your Daddy were out front through a quarter in 22.52 seconds and a half-mile in 44.60, They were briefly joined by Veronesi, who was supposed to be a pacesetter for Raging Bull but blew the break and was then rushed up by Eric Cancel before fading.

Rosario had Oleksandra in last, 15 lengths off the early pace, but when Neil Drysdale, Oleksandra's trainer, saw the early fractions, “I said, it doesn’t matter that she’s way back.”

After saving ground along the inside, Rosario was able to make his move toward the outside without breaking Oleksandra’s momentum. Once straightened out in the lane, Oleksandra unleashed her typical powerful closing kick and was able to outfinish an inside-rallying Raging Bull to get the victory. It was three lengths back to Front Run the Fed, who was followed by Sanctuary City, Get Smokin, Penalty, Tell Your Daddy, Raased, and Veronesi.

“She ran a tremendous race, she really relaxed in the beginning, the pace was fast, but she was really there for me,” Rosario said. “That was very impressive. When I started picking up after the three-furlong [pole] and then she got the momentum with that stride that she has I said ‘let me try going out a little bit.’ I don’t want to get stopped here.”

Oleksandra, owned by Team Valor International, covered the mile in 1:32.11 and returned $36.80.

“He gave her a peach of a ride,” Drysdale said. “He waited and he pressed the button at the right time. Another thing that I thought might help is the Widener course has just a little bit longer stretch.”

Oleksandra ended her career with a record of 8 wins - four in stakes - four seconds and three thirds from 20 starts and career earnings of $705,748. She was 4 for 4 at Belmont Park.

Raging Bull, sent off the 3-5 favorite coming off his victory in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland, broke from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr. and was never able to get to the outside. Chad Brown, Raging Bull's trainer, said that type of trip compromised his horse’s chances.

“This horse, he won’t run inside of horses,” Brown said. “You look at his defeats, when he’s inside there he’s not going to pass. Irad tried to do everything he could, there was just no way out. Hat’s off to the winner, she ran terrific.”