Saez's pearl of a ride gets Value Proposition home on top in Oyster Bay Stakes
Value Proposition won his second consecutive stakes race Friday, when he pushed past pacesetter Battle Station and went on to a 2 3/4-length victory in the inaugural running of the $100,000 Oyster Bay Stakes at Belmont Park.
The seven furlong race for 3-year-olds and up was run on "good" turf.
Value Proposition ($3.70) was content to sit just off the pace, as Battle Station took the field through an opening quarter in 23.59 seconds and a half-mile in 46.84. Value Proposition moved in on the leader on the final turn, worked past him in the stretch, and went on to cover the distance in 1:23.03.
Pulsate finished second, while there was a dead heat for third between Maxwell Esquire and Fauci.
Luis Saez rode Value Proposition for Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown.
“Luis Saez did a super job riding this horse,” Brown told the press office at Belmont. “I know he was 4-5 and was supposed to win like that based on his odds, but jockeys - when they do that - often don’t get much credit because they did what they’re supposed to do. He’s not an easy horse to ride, particularly if you’ve never ridden him.
“I gave Luis some valuable information about the horse, not only that he lugs in a bit, but when he does it and how he does it – and he took advantage of it. He was ready and when he turned for home he immediately gave himself a couple paths away from other horses and he had his stick in his left hand ready for that horse. He ran a little bit like a snake down the lane – in and out of lanes – but he had control of this horse and he got the job done.”
Value Proposition came into the Oyster Bay off a win in the Red Bank at Monmouth Park.
The Oyster Bay took an extended period of time to be made official due to “technical delays,” according to the simulcast feed from Belmont.
Value Proposition has now won 6 of 12 starts and has earned $414,773. He is a son of Dansili.
* There is a pick-six caryover of $44,261 into Saturday's New York Showcase card.