Pete's Play Call justifies owners' risk with Gravesend triumph

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It could be deemed a bit risky claiming a gelding for $62,500 late in his 7-year-old year and with 45 races under his belt.
Owner Michael Dubb took that risk and it paid off nicely Saturday at Aqueduct as Pete’s Play Call recorded a 2 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Gravesend Stakes over a muddy main track.

Stan the Man rallied from last to be second by 3 1/4 lengths over Drafted. My Boy Tate, the 7-5 favorite, finished fourth followed by Happy Farm.

The win was the 14th from 46 starts for Pete’s Play Call, an 8-year-old gelding by Munnings. - and was his sixth from nine starts over a wet track. He was coming off a two-length score in a $62,500 optional-claimer here Nov. 27, a race from which he was claimed by Dubb and trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

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“I thought we paid top dollar for him, but seeing him work in the morning it looked like he was worth every penny,” Rodriguez said. “Mike likes to gamble like everybody else, he told me if he ain’t worth it we can drop him for $50,000.”

No need to do that just yet.

Under Jorge Vargas Jr., Pete’s Play Call broke sharp and ultimately settled into a stalking second, just off the flank of Happy Farm, the 2019 Gravesend runner-up who was making his first start since March and first for Linda Rice.

Just after Happy Farm ran the opening half-mile in 46.99 seconds, Pete’s Play Call took over the lead from him. Pete’s Play Call opened up a clear advantage in midstretch and, though he wandered a bit inside the final furlong, he was an easy winner.

Pete’s Play Call covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.63 over a sealed, muddy surface and returned $10.20 as the third choice.

“My horse is quick, I was trying to keep him happy, keep him wherever he was comfortable,” Vargas said.

Pete’s Play Call earned $55,000 for the victory and increased his career earnings to $648,421.

Stan the Man, second in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight last out, had to settle for second-best again in the Gravesend.

“He ran his race; good, solid effort,” said trainer John Terranova, adding that Pete’s Play Call “stepped up and ran a big race today. The wet track might have moved him up a little bit.”