Sheriffa gives trainer Rice good day with Jack Betta Be Rite win
Ho-hum, trainer Linda Rice sent a pair of horses to Finger Lakes on Monday and won two races, including the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes with Sheriffa.
Rice isn't shy about sending horses to Finger Lakes when they fit the track's program. She is 11 for 29 at Finger Lakes this year and since 2013 has won 41 races there while scoring at a 33 percent clip.
Sheriffa was taking a significant class drop in the Jack Betta Be Rite after finishing ninth in the $200,000 Critical Eye Stakes at Belmont Park on May 30 and sixth in the $100,000 Biogio's Rose Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 7 in her most recent races.
Sheriffa opened up a clear early lead in the 1 1/16-mile Jack Betta Be Rite under jockey Oscar Gomez - who rode both of Rice's Monday winners - and was never seriously challenged while winning by 3 1/4 lengths.
Under a snug hold from Gomez, Sheriffa set fractions of 24.71, 48.94, and 1:13.24. Gomez kept her under a drive in the stretch and she covered a mile in 1:38.38 before completing the course in 1:45.02.
Sheriffa is now 7 for 23 in her career and has earnings of $469,984. She made her $5.90 win payoff look generous.
Runner-up Dark Desire raced closest to the winner throughout. She tried to make a run at Sheriffa on the far turn, but could make little headway. She held off her Michael Ferraro-trained stablemate One More Act for second by two lengths.
One More Act, the 3-5 favorite in the field of six New York-bred filly and mares, raced in third position for much of the race and lacked the needed response when asked. Coming into the Jack Betta Be Rite, she had won six of her last seven races and six straight at Finger Lakes.