Park Avenue Ball wins slow Futurity

ELMONT, N.Y. - Time may not matter, but timing does. A well-timed move by Javier Castellano helped Park Avenue Ball upset Sunday's Grade 2, $300,000 at Belmont Park.

It mattered little to the winning connections that the final time of 1:38.84 was by far the slowest of 10 runnings of the Futurity at one mile, in spite of a strong breeze at the horse's back through the stretch.

Castellano let four horses duel through a half-mile run in 46.88 seconds, swung Park Avenue Ball four wide for the stretch drive and he cruised home a surprisingly easy three-length winner over Wallstreet Scandal. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to Evil Minister in third.

Upscaled finished fourth followed by even-money favorite Fusaichi Rock Star and the filly Comacina.

It was the third victory from four career starts for Park Avenue Ball, a New Jersey-bred son of Citidancer bred by owners Charles and Marianne Hesse. Park Avenue Ball's only loss came in the Grade 2 Sapling at Monmouth Park where he may have been compromised by a premature move.

Trainer James Ryerson said Dale Beckner was forced to go through an opening along the inside in the Sapling, and made the lead too soon. In the Futurity, Ryerson was more than pleased when he saw Castellano get Park Avenue Ball behind Upscaled, Fusaichi Rock Star, Wallstreet Scandal and Comacina.

"They were four abreast and we were covered up and I thought that he would settle," Ryerson said. "I knew the horse is a trier; I knew he'd make his run when he asked him. I think him just being able to wait a little longer today helped him out."

Ryerson said he would consider running Park Avenue Ball back in the Grade 1 Champagne here on Oct. 9. Ryerson was less sure about the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park.

Fusaichi Rock Star, trained by Bob Baffert, was extremely disappointing. He drug Kent Desormeaux to the leaders after a slow opening quarter, and was head and head for the lead with Upscaled at the top of the stretch. But "he had no response when needed," Desormeaux said.

"I think he lost his air, because he was really tired," said Baffert, who indicated he would run Fusaichi rock Star back in the Champagne.