Smokin' Jay just gets up to take Allied Forces Stakes by a head
ELMONT, N.Y. - Smokin’ Jay, beaten a nose in the Tom Ridge Stakes at Presque Isle Downs last month, came out on the right side of a close finish Friday, edging the pacesetting Momos by a head in the $100,000 Allied Forces Stakes at Belmont Park.
The win was not only the first stakes victory for Smokin’ Jay, but also was the first for his trainer Kelsey Danner and owner Tony Rallo’s Crowns Way Racing.
Smokin’ Jay was making his seventh start of the year and visiting his seventh different track. Danner, in her fourth year of training, said she was looking for stakes restricted to 3-year-olds for Smokin’ Jay.
In the Tom Ridge, run over a synthetic surface, Smokin’ Jay just got nosed out by Arzak, who was back in this field. Danner felt Smokin’ Jay was a touch wider than she would have liked.
Friday, under Luis Saez, Smokin’ Jay was able to save ground until the top of the lane as Momos, under John Velazquez, set fractions of 22.09 seconds and 45.07 while being stalked by Jaxon Traveler, ridden by Jose Ortiz.
When Saez got Smokin’ Jay off the inside, he found himself right off of Jaxon Traveler’s heels. Saez hit Smokin’ Jay left-handed and he drifted out a path or two before Saez was able to straighten him out and get him up.
“When we came to the top of the stretch the horse in front of me came out, I was right behind and I had to push out to get into the clear,” Saez said. “And as soon as I hit him left-handed, he switched leads and he came out more. That’s why I was nervous if we won the race.”
Smokin’ Jay did indeed get there, covering six furlongs over turf labeled firm in 1:09.14. He returned $32.50.
Danner, who watched the race from Churchill Downs, said she was a bit nervous when Smokin’ Jay was coming out, but “Luis was a strong enough rider that he had him finishing very well,” she said.
Momos finished second by a length over Jaxon Traveler, who was followed, in order, by a slow-starting Arzak, Ranger Fox, Big Everest, Swashbuckle, and Three Two Zone.
Danner said she may run Smokin’ Jay back in the $100,000 Carle Place Stakes here on Oct. 22.
Bay Storm wires Christiecat
While John Velazquez’s front-running tactics on Momos came up a head short in the Allied Forces, his decision to put Bay Storm on the lead paid off with a dominant three-length score in the $100,000 Christiecat Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Breaking from the rail, Velazquez got Bay Storm to the front in comfortable fractions of 23.67 for the quarter and 46.24. When he asked her to run at the head of the lane, Bay Storm opened up and cruised to a fairly easy victory.
Caldee finished second, 3 1/4 lengths clear of Tuscan Queen. Honey Pants, Can’t Buy Love, favored Bye Bye, and Orbs Baby Girl completed the order of finish.
Velazquez, who was riding Bay Storm for the first time, said he didn’t see much speed in the race other than horses cutting back to a sprint from routes.
“If she breaks well I’m not going to take anything away from her,” Velazquez said. “She broke well, got in a good rhythm, and when I asked her down the lane she responded right away.”
Velazquez said the fractions were key to victory.
“Anytime you get a little break the first part of the race you got something to finish with,” he said.
Bay Storm, a 3-year-old daughter of Kantharos, is trained by Jonathan Thomas for Bridlewood Farm.
She covered the six furlongs over turf labeled firm in 1:09.73 and returned $8.50 as the second choice.