Scrappy T upsets Count Fleet

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The well-named Scrappy T put his speed and his guts to good use Saturday, taking the $83,175 in front-running fashion at Aqueduct. The Count Fleet was scheduled for Jan. 8, but was postponed when racing was canceled after the third race.

Under Alan Garcia, Scrappy T put away pace-prompter Lakeville Rush, then turned back favored Naughty New Yorker at the quarter pole to win by one length. Naughty New Yorker, who had won his previous two starts in statebred company by a combined 18 3/4 lengths, finished second, seven lengths clear of Tani Maru.

Scrappy T, a Kentucky-bred gelded son of Fit to Fight, ran the mile and 70 yards in 1:42.41 over a good inner track. The time was a full second slower than Smarty Jones ran when he won this race last year. Scrappy T may not win two thirds of the Triple Crown like Smarty Jones, but he could prove to be more than useful for owner Marshall Dowell and trainer Robert Bailes.

"The son of a gun keeps going the right way for us," said Bailes, whose horse is now 2-4-0 from six starts. "We were hoping maybe somebody would get in front of him and we could rate a little bit, but Alan said he did everything easy today."

While the inside of the inner track remained the place to be, the speed bias wasn't as prevalent as it had been the last two weeks. Still, Scrappy T cut out fractions of 23.39 seconds, 48.03, and 1:13.41, while easily disposing of Lakeville Rush.

Naughty New Yorker, under Jean-Luc Samyn, launched his bid from the back of the pack midway down the backstretch, got to Scrappy T's hip at the quarter pole, but could not sustain his move. It was Naughty New Yorker's first race outside of statebred competition.

"He hung a little bit the last eighth of a mile," Samyn said. "It was the first time he ran over a good track, first time he ran in this company. At least he ran good and he tried hard."

Scrappy T, who returned $24.20 to win, and Naughty New Yorker are both likely to run in the Whirlaway Stakes on Feb. 12, when they will most likely meet the talented Galloping Grocer.

Saintliness remains undefeated

Saintliness ($4.50) made a successful foray into stakes company and remained undefeated from five starts after winning the $81,275 Affectionately Handicap by three-quarters of a length. Miss Fortunate finished second, 6 1/4 lengths ahead of Mariakel.

Under Richard Migliore, Saintliness set fractions of 23.94 seconds, 48.94, 1:13.94, 1:38.43 and covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.89.

"She's a pretty nice mare. When she got in a nice big comfortable stride I felt pretty confident," Migliore said. "The only anxious moment I had was down inside the 50-yard marker, when she got real close to the fence. She spooked herself and shied, and she took a couple of funny steps."

Saintliness, a daughter of Holy Bull, is owned and bred by Frank Stronach and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. Saintliness may be headed to Gulfstream Park for her next start, McLaughlin said.