Scottish Lassie cruises to easy maiden win in Frizette Stakes
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Scottish Lassie finished third in her first start. Disappointed, not deterred, trainer Jorge Abreu told his owners he wanted to run the 2-year-old filly in the Grade 1 Frizette despite the fact she was still a maiden.
Saturday, Scottish Lassie rewarded her trainer’s faith with a devastatingly easy nine-length victory in the $400,000 Frizette at Aqueduct that not only earned Scottish Lassie a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1 at Del Mar, but gave Abreu his first graded stakes victory with his 72nd starter in such a race.
“I have no words to explain it right now,” Abreu said.
Scottish Lassie beat fellow maiden Snowyte in the Frizette, a race that scratched down from 10 horses to seven. Senza Parole, the 3-5 morning-line favorite, and Paradise City were early scratches. Multiple stakes winner The Queens M G was scratched at the gate Saturday by the track veterinarian because there was blood coming out of one of her nostrils. There was no blood in her trachea, according to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Abreu felt Scottish Lassie was compromised by her inside post and subsequent trip in her debut Sept. 1, a race won by Quickick, who came back to run second in Friday’s Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland. Snowyte finished second in that Sept. 1 race at Saratoga.
“Irad [Ortiz Jr.] told me she didn’t break as sharp that day, going seven-eighths from the one hole first is a lot to ask,” Abreu said. “She didn’t run bad, Irad said she’s going to improve.”
Ortiz was committed to Senza Parole, so Abreu got Jose Lezcano to work the filly a couple of times. Lezcano loved what he felt in the morning, and it obviously translated to the afternoon.
In the Frizette, Social Fortress, undefeated in two starts, set the pace, going a quarter in 22.81 seconds and a half-mile in 46.20. Scottish Lassie was a stalking third, two lengths back.
Scottish Lassie took over from Social Fortress turning for home and opened up on the field at will, with Snowyte, who was well back early on, rallying to get second, 6 1/2 lengths clear of Social Fortress. Another Cleeshay, Icona Mama, Whatintheliteral, and Pondering completed the order of finish.
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“The longer she goes, the faster she can go,” Lezcano said. “She finished fantastic today.”
Scottish Lassie, a daughter of McKinzie owned by Sportsmen Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds, returned $15. She covered the mile in 1:36.73 and earned a career-high 90 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I had high expectations of this filly from day one,” Abreu said. “I didn’t know she was going to win by this margin.”
The bettors had high expectations of Snowyte, who, despite being a maiden, was sent off the 6-5 favorite. Despite the addition of blinkers, she was second to last early on under Joel Rosario and seemed to resent the dirt being kicked back in her face. Though she made a mild bid, she was still a well-beaten second.
Still, trainer Danny Gargan said he would point Snowyte to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
“She learned a lot today, she’s going to go big-time forward after this,” Gargan said. “She didn’t learn a lot in her first race because she went to the lead. She broke a little slow today, had to rush from the one hole. We’ll go to the Breeders’ Cup anyway.”
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