Ramblin' Wreck rallies from last to take Spectacular Bid division
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ELMONT, N.Y. - On Father’s Day, Ramblin’ Wreck followed in the hoof prints of his brother, returning from a lengthy layoff to win the $150,000 Spectacular Bid division of the New York Stallion Stakes for 3-year-olds.
Ramblin’ Wreck, a half-brother to Dakota Gold, overcame a slow start - and a six-month layoff - to rally from last and win the Spectacular Bid by one length over favorite Twenty Six Black. Ramblin’ Wreck was making his first start since he finished second to General Banker in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the NYSS on dirt last Dec. 17 at Aqueduct.
In 2022, Dakota Gold won the Spectacular Bid in his 3-year-old debut, which came seven months after he finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
One difference is that Ramblin’ Wreck, a son of Redesdale, was gelded during his vacation. Trainer Danny Gargan isn’t totally sure it made a difference, but he did note that Ramblin’ Wreck is a more determined horse than Dakota Gold.
“This horse has that grit that he wants to run home,” Gargan said. “Dakota Gold likes to play around.”
Ramblin’ Wreck made things difficult for himself Sunday, breaking last in the eight-horse field.
Reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. let Ramblin’ Wreck stay in the back of the pack, 5 1/4 lengths back, while Ten Cent Town and Itsallcomintogetha dueled through a quarter in 22.91 seconds and a half-mile in 46.39.
Twenty Six Black, the even-money favorite under Manny Franco, was three-wide in the second flight of horses, before moving up to the leaders approaching the top of the lane.
Itsaallcomintogetha put away Ten Cent Town, and had some fight when Twenty Six Black came to him in midstretch. Twenty Six Black did get by that one, but couldn’t hold off Ramblin’ Wreck and Ortiz.
“I was surprised he got left that bad, just a slow start,” Ortiz said. “After that, I let him be happy, pick it up little by little and when I asked him, I hit one time and he gave me a good feeling.”
Ramblin’ Wreck, out of the mare Dakota Kid, covered the seven furlongs in 1:21.21 and returned $9.50 as the second choice. Ramblin’ Wreck is owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Patty and Peter Searles.
Gargan said he will follow a similar summer schedule at Saratoga with Ramblin’ Wreck to what he did last summer with Dakota Gold. The $150,000 Cab Calloway division of the NYSS is run on July 20 followed by the $125,000 Rick Violette Stakes for New York-breds on Aug. 17.
Twenty Six Red was favored based on two straight wins to begin his 3-year-old season. Twenty Six Red had a good trip, but Franco said he had to work hard to get by Itsallcomintogetha, who finished third by three-quarters of a length over Vacation Dance.
“He stayed with that horse a little bit and when he made the front he got lost a little bit,” Franco said. “My horse ran good, the winner was just much the best today.”
Mz Big Bucks wires Cupecoy’s Joy
In a race where no one seemed to want the lead, Jose Gomez took it aboard Mz Big Bucks and never relinquished it, scoring a front-running, two-length victory in the $150,000 Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Series for 3-year-old fillies.
Gomez, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice of 2022, said he just wanted to put Mz Big Bucks into the race from post 10 in the 11-horse field. When no one went for the lead “I took it myself,” he said. “Nobody wanted it, I took it and we led every step.”
Gomez said in the stretch he kept feeling Mz Big Bucks running and never was felt threatened in the lane.
“On the grass there’s always closers coming to get you, I peaked over at the stands and saw nobody coming I said ‘we got this,’ ” Gomez said.
Mz Big Bucks, by War Dancer, is a full sister to Dancing Buck, who was a Grade 3 winner on the turf last year for trainer Michelle Nevin and owner J and N Stables, the same connections as Mz Big Bucks. The latter is also owned by Diamond M Stable.
Nevin credited Gomez for “doing a great job sitting on her, reining her in and settling her. It was good.”
Mz Big Bucks covered the seven furlongs in 1:21.88 and returned $21.
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