Saratoga: Designer Legs wins Adirondack Stakes via disqualification

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y – What looked like it could be a coming-out party for the undefeated and untested Fiftyshadesofgold in Sunday’s $200,000 Adirondack Stakes instead turned into a roughly run and tragic edition of the Grade 2 dash for 2-year-old fillies.

Who’s in Town was first across the wire after bravely outlasting Designer Legs following a hotly contested stretch run. But it didn’t take the stewards long to disqualify the apparent winner and place her fourth for impeding the 1-4 Fiftyshadesofgold in late stretch, awarding the still unbeaten Designer Legs the victory.

The Adirondack was further marred when Charmed Hour broke down and had to be euthanized after the race.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, Who’s in Town contested the early pace from inside Hop the Six, then dug in determinedly through the stretch when challenged first by Designer Legs to her outside and then Fiftyshadesofgold, who had been pinned in behind the leaders along the rail for most of the race.

Who’s in Town outfinished Designer Legs to reach the wire a neck in front. But in the process, she angled down closer to the rail when Rosario pulled her off Designer Legs with the left rein. That forced jockey Corey Lanerie aboard Fiftyshadesofgold to take up sharply inside the sixteenth pole after it appeared that he had a clear path to launch a final surge inside the embattled leaders. The odds-on favorite was ultimately passed for third money by Thank You Marylou, who was placed second following the disqualification.

Designer Legs, a daughter of Graeme Hall, won her first two races at Canterbury and Prairie Meadows with trainer Gary Scherer before being turned over to trainer Dallas Stewart by owner Murray Valene to point for the Adirondack. She paid $35 to win.

“She ran a great race,” Stewart said. “She was game. She fought back with that horse, and fortunately, it came up the right way. I had her early, but Murray sent her to Minnesota because his father’s up there. A lot of credit goes to [Valene] and Gary Scherer. They sent her in ready to run, and I just tried not to mess her up.”

Bret Calhoun, who trains Fiftyshadesofgold, said his filly appeared to have come out of the roughly run race unharmed.

“It’s very disappointing,” he said. “It looked like we were coming through and going to win. Race riding is race riding, but I think [Rosario] overdid it today. He endangered a lot of riders and horses, and I hope he gets a long vacation to think about it. He’s a great rider, but that was very uncalled for.”