Royal Posse edges out Saratoga Snacks to win Evan Shipman

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In a race that nearly finished in a dead heat, Royal Posse edged out a game but unlucky Saratoga Snacks by the slimmest of margins to capture the $100,000 Evan Shipman Stakes on Thursday at Saratoga. Zivo, making his first start since the Breeders’ Cup Classic, finished fourth as the 4-5 favorite.

Royal Posse continues to pay big dividends for his connections, who haltered the New York-bred son of Posse for $20,000 May 31 at Belmont. The Evan Shipman was his second win in three starts since joining trainer Rudy Rodriguez’s stable, each of those outings coming at 1 1/8 miles.

Saratoga Snacks set a leisurely pace while stalked by Royal Posse through early splits of 25.37 seconds, 50.14, and 1:14.10 for six furlongs. Royal Posse and jockey Javier Castellano drew even with the leader at the top of the stretch before proving slightly better after a long, hard drive to the wire. Empire Dreams slipped along the rail to move within easy striking distance of the top pair turning for home but was not good enough and finished another 2 1/4 lengths farther back in third.

Zivo was hung three wide around the opening bend, continued to race wide while within striking distance of the slow pace into the stretch, but could not kick on with the leaders down the lane.

Posse completed nine furlongs in 1:49.91 and paid $13.

“We usually don’t like to run a horse three times in a month, but the horse loves Saratoga, so we took a chance,” said Rodriguez. “I thought [Saratoga Snacks] came back and beat us at the end. It looked like we were going to draw away from him, but the other horse is very game. I got to give all the credit to Javier, and I think the slow pace helped us a little bit better.”

Rodriguez said he’ll likely give Royal Posse a break and bring him back later this year at Aqueduct.