Saez sweeps two N.Y. Stallion Stakes divisions

ELMONT, N.Y. - Jockey Luis Saez completed a sweep of the two New York Stallion Stakes divisions at Belmont Park on Sunday when he overcame traffic trouble on Crawdaddy and was able to run down 17-1 pacesetter Heldatgunpoint.

Crawdaddy won his career debut at 33-1 for trainer Jeremiah Englehart only 17 days ago, closing from far back to win going six furlongs on turf. He was unruly at the gate Sunday, but once he was loaded and the field was dispatched, he showed more tractable speed.

Crawdaddy ran into problems on the far turn while racing along the inside when Bavaro began to tire and he was trapped behind him.

But Saez was able to go around Bavaro nearing the stretch and Crawdaddy, just as he did in his debut, finished fast to take the lead inside Heldatgunpoint in the final sixteenth and win by three-quarters of a length.

"I had a little bit of a rough trip," Saez said. "We got a good position, but I had a horse in front of me and then he stopped on the turn. I thought, 'Man, we’ve got trouble here.' Finally, we got a little room."

In his debut, Crawdaddy paid $69. On Sunday, in the Spectacular Bid, he returned $9.20.

Heldatgunpoint, who in his last start May 7 won a statebred $40,000 maiden claimer, ran well in defeat. He cut out fractions of 22.67, 45.62 and 1:10.36 in the seven-furlong race over the Widener course and almost pulled off the upset. Crawdaddy stopped the timer in 1:22.83 over "good" turf.

It was 2 3/4 lengths back from Heldatgunpooint to T Loves a Fight in third. T Loves a Fight rallied willingly but couldn't reach Heldatgunpoint while 2 1/4 lengths clear of Reason to Soar in fourth.

Saez won the first division of the Stallion Stakes, the Cupecoy's Joy, on Lady Joan for trainer Phil Serpe.