Position Limit pulls away in Adirondack

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Position Limit backed up her impressive debut victory with an even more impressive performance in Sunday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Adirondack Stakes for juvenile fillies, pulling away from Alienation in midstretch and drawing clear to a five-length victory at Saratoga.

Alienation, who took the lead three furlongs into the race, finished second, five lengths ahead of Coax Liberty. It was seven lengths back to Hula in fourth. She was followed in the order of finish by Nina Fever, Silvislip, Because I Like It, Tristanme, Golden Phoenix, and Miss Sarah Brown.

The victory came one month after Position Limit, a daughter of Bellamy Road, won a maiden race at Belmont by 6 3/4 lengths. Sunday’s victory came despite the fact Position Limit lost a left front shoe during the running of the race.

“She couldn’t have been more impressive in her first two, the way I see it,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who won two races on the card and has a meet-leading 17 victories.

Breaking from post 8 under John Velazquez, Position Limit was five wide down the backstretch and in fourth position. Miss Sarah Brown made the lead through an opening quarter in 21.72 seconds, before Alienation took over from her midway around the turn.

Velazquez was going to be content to wait a little longer, but when he saw how easy Alienation was moving under Martin Garcia, he decided to send his filly approaching the five-sixteenths pole. Position Limit crept up alongside Alienation in upper stretch and took control inside the eighth pole.
“It seemed like [Alienation] was going pretty easy on the lead, so I had to move a little earlier than I wanted to,” said Velazquez, who won three races on Sunday’s card. “But once I got her going, she was on the muscle.”

Position Limit, owned by Starlight Partners, headed by Jack and Laurie Wolf, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.30 and returned $5.10 as the favorite.

“I thought she ran a very professional race,” Pletcher said. “She’s got everything you want - tactical speed and stamina to go along with it. It was a big step forward.”

Pletcher said he would likely wait until the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont on Oct. 9 to run Position Limit again.