Rinaldi leads them all the way in Forbidden Apple Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Races are rarely won or lost at scratch time, but one could arguably make that case Friday at Saratoga when it came to the $150,000 Forbidden Apple Stakes.
The news earlier in the day that Flying Scotsman had been withdrawn from the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple left Rinaldi as the controlling speed in the race. A factor that the hard-knocking New York-bred and his red-hot jockey Luis Saez took advantage of, the pair leading throughout to register a popular half-length victory over Value Proposition. Value Proposition’s stablemate Delaware finished another neck further back in third.
Breaking from the rail, Saez quickly put Rinaldi on the lead, nursing him through splits of 24.31 seconds and 48.83 for the opening quarter and half-mile over the firm going while stalked from the outset by longshot Made You Look. Rinaldi readily shook off his early pursuer upon settling into the stretch, surged clear, and then had enough in reserve to withstand Value Proposition and Delaware at the end.
Value Proposition was snugged in perfect striking position close up and while saving ground for six furlongs, was finally able to get out from behind the leader after trying to lug in some approaching midstretch, continued gamely at that point, but was not quite good enough. His stablemate Delaware made up ground near the center of the course through the final furlong without menacing the winner.
The victory was the fifth in 11 lifetime starts for Rinaldi, a 5-year-old son of Posse owned by Bond Racing Stable. Four of those victories have come from just five starts over the local course, and this was his first triumph outside of statebred company.
Rinaldi was bet down in the final flashes to become the slight favorite over Value Proposition, returning $6.70 to win. Final time for the mile was 1:35.70.
“Kiaran McLaughlin called me this morning and said we had a big scratch,” said Bond, referring to Flying Scotsman, who has been in front in three of his last four starts. McLaughlin is the agent for Saez, who has won six races over the first two days of the meet.
“Lone speed is dangerous anytime, anywhere,” Bond said. “He’s a good horse. He’s a better two-turn horse. We got rained off [the turf] on New York-bred day, so we just decided to regroup, bring him up here, and get ready for this race. Luis puts them where they’ve got to be, I just hope I did my part. He’s just a cool horse. He loves this course, and he’s a good miler. He kind of steals away on the turn. You don’t realize it, but all of a sudden he’s got a length on you. You just hope he has something left when he hits the wire, and he did today.”
Bond said he’ll wait to make any decision on what would be next for Rinaldi, while noting the Grade 1 Fourstardave and the Bernard Baruch remain options later in the meet.
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“He’s a New York-bred, you can’t be foolish, this was a Grade 3 today, not a Grade 1,” Bond said. “We’ll celebrate tonight, and tomorrow we’ll come up with a plan.”
Trainer Chad Brown, who sent out both the second- and third-place finishers, said Value Proposition “was trying to lay in and he had every chance to draw alongside [Rinaldi], but he didn’t have it today.”