Pole Setter uses his speed to take Paradise Creek Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. - Pole Setter used his speed to become the pacesetter and ultimately the winner of Saturday’s $100,000 Paradise Creek Stakes at Belmont Park.

Breaking sharply out of the gate under Luis Saez, Pole Setter opened a one-length advantage over Mucho while running an opening quarter of 23.27 seconds. Mucho moved just off the flank of Pole Setter after a half-mile in 46.21 seconds, but Pole Setter had plenty left to spurt clear and win the Paradise Creek by 1 1/4 lengths.

Pulsate, last early, rallied down the center of the course under Manny Franco to get second by three-quarters of a length over Strike Silver. Mucho was fourth, followed by Uncapped, Fog of War, the 4-5 favorite, and Ian Glass.

The stewards lit the inquiry sign regarding Pulsate lugging in during the stretch run, causing John Velazquez to steady on Uncapped. The stewards deemed it did not impact Uncapped’s final placing and let the result stand.

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For Pole Setter, it was his second straight win, his previous one coming by a nose on the dirt at Keeneland on April 7. He had not been on the turf since last Sept. 18 when he finished sixth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile.

Saez said it was his plan to put Pole Setter on the lead and during the post parade he took him away from the pony to warm him up.
“I warm him up good, he was very sharp, we tried to break clean and that’s what he did,” Saez said. “He broke so quick, we take the lead and he was so comfortable.”

Pole Setter, a ridgling by Take Charge Indy owned by Steve Landers and trained by Brad Cox, covered the seven furlongs over a firm Widener turf course in 1:20.77 and returned $10.80 to win after going from 8-1 as the field loaded into the gate to 4-1 in the final flash.

Meanwhile, Fog of War disappointed as the 4-5 favorite. In his first start since winning the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine last September, Fog of War bobbled at the start under Javier Castellano. He sat third, three-wide early, but in the stretch he lugged in and faded to sixth of seven.

“He bobbled a little bit coming out of the gate, it didn’t cost him much because he recovered quick and put himself in a good spot,” Castellano said. “I rated him the best I could. Unfortunately, not much pace in the race.”