Picco Uno cruises in Dancin Renee Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Two months ago, trainer Jason Servis would have figured Picco Uno would be running for a claiming tag by now.

After reeling off five wins from six starts from December 2016 through last August, Picco Uno started tailing off. She lost her last two starts of 2017 and her first two races this year.

“Two months ago if you would have asked me, I would have said forget her,” Servis said.

Servis said Picco Uno was developing ankle issues and he told owner Bill Poston “it’s been a good run.”

But in the last six weeks or so, Picco Uno began to come around. On Saturday, she made it back full circle with a front-running victory in the $125,000 Dancin Renee Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at Belmont Park.

Under Manny Franco, Picco Uno cleared Cozzy Spring soon after the start, led every step of the way thereafter, and beat Cozzy Spring by four lengths. It was a half-length back to favored Holiday Disguise in third. She was followed, in order, by Absatootly, Bluegrass Flag, and Bobby’s Song. Still There scratched.

The win was the seventh in 17 career starts for Picco Uno, a 5-year-old daughter of Macho Uno. It was her first victory since capturing the Union Avenue Stakes at Saratoga last Aug. 17.

For Servis, it was his 11th win from 22 starts at this meet.

“I don’t know why,” Servis said when asked about his success here this summer. “It’s the way it’s working out. It was a slow Aqueduct.”

Servis won only five races from 45 starts at Aqueduct from Jan. 1 through the end of April. At Aqueduct, Picco Uno lost once in February and once in April.

Saturday, Servis told Franco to put Picco Uno on the lead if possible. Picco Uno got to the front in splits of 22.25 seconds for the quarter, 45.23 for the half-mile, and cruised home six furlongs in 1:09.60. She returned $12.40 as the fourth choice and got a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He told me to break out of there and see what the inside horse [Cozzy Spring] was going to do, and I broke on top and I let her go,” Franco said. “We took the lead and it worked out good. She had her ears up waiting for my call. I knew I had horse under me and I waited as long as I could to ask her.”

Holiday Disguise, a five-time stakes winner, was sent off the 4-5 favorite. Under Junior Alvarado, she was within two lengths of the lead for most of the race and didn’t have much punch in the stretch.

“We were chasing fast fractions and that’s not her game,” Linda Rice, trainer of Holiday Disguise, said. “She needs to be further back. That’s racing.”