Riposte gets away with pokey pace in Sheepshead Bay

ELMONT, N.Y. - In her first two starts in the United States, Riposte found herself behind horses in races where the early fractions were quite pedestrian.

In Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes at Belmont Park, the early fractions were again slow, only this time it was Riposte who was setting them.

Riposte took advantage of being able to set that slow early pace by running away from her pursuers in the stretch to post a 1 3/4-length victory in the Sheepshead Bay. Abaco, fourth early, chased Riposte home to finish second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Irish Mission. Fitful Skies, Caroline Thomas, and Modernstone completed the order of finish.

Riposte, a daughter of Dansili and a half-sister to Grade 1 Arlington Million winner Powerscourt, gave trainer Bill Mott his fourth victory in the Sheepshead Bay. It was the second for the owner/breeder Juddmonte Farms, which teamed up with Mott to win this race in 2010 with Treat Gently.

Riposte was a Group 2 winner in Britain for Juddmonte before shipping to Mott late last year. She ran in a pair of nine-furlong stakes where the half-mile time was 51.20 seconds and she was off the pace. Riposte finished second in the Suwannee River and third in the Hillsborough. She entered this race off a neck loss in a second-level allowance at Keeneland.

“The first two times we were only going nine furlongs, the fractions were very, very slow, and she found it hard to close into those fractions,” Mott said.

Mott said in Riposte’s last two workouts before this race, he put Riposte in front of another horse “for no particular reason.”

Saturday, Fitful Skies broke on top, but by the time the field entered the first turn, Rosario had Riposte in front. Riposte ran an opening quarter in 24.95 seconds, a half-mile in 51.75, and six furlongs in 1:17.00, giving her plenty to go on when Irish Mission came to her down the backside.

“There was not a lot of speed, going a mile-and-three-eighths I wanted to get a little position and she was in front,” Rosario said.

Riposte opened up a clear margin turning for home and she was never seriously threatened in the stretch. Riposte covered the 1 3/8 miles over a yielding Widener turf course in 2:18.86 and returned $7.20 as the third choice.