Soul of an Angel springs upset over Randomized in Ruffian

Soul of an Angel upset odds-on favorite Randomized to win Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian Stakes for fillies and mares racing one mile at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet.

Making her first start for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., Soul of an Angel saved ground behind the leaders as Randomized unsurprisingly carved out the fractions. She set splits of 23.09 and 46.25 seconds, while pushed from the outside by Green Up.

Randomized opened the lead after a six-furlong clocking of 1:10.69 and turned for home with a comfortable advantage, but jockey Trevor McCarthy swung Soul of an Angel outside for the final three-sixteenths.

Randomized, making her first start of the season after finishing second to champion Idiomatic in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, had no response when challenged, and Soul of an Angel strutted home to prevail by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:35.40 over the fast track.

“I met this filly five days ago,” said Electra Boone, one of Joseph’s assistant trainers. “She's not even on my side of the string - we have two strings at Palm Meadows. But I watched her work on XBTV and she went in hand in 36 and 2 and I was impressed. I had her training here [in New York] for a couple of days and I was in awe of how she was taking to the track.”

Randomized just held second, three-quarters better than uncoupled stablemate Shidabhuti. Then came Fingal’s Cave, Ain’t Broke, and Green Up. Traverse scratched.

Ain't Broke and Green Up reportedly bled. Green Up was vanned off the track.

Soul of an Angel returned $51 as the longest shot on the tote and registered a career-high 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

Bred in Kentucky by Westbrook Stables, Soul of an Angel is a late-blooming 5-year-old mare by Atreides that earned her only other stakes victory last summer in the Mari Hulman George Memorial Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Second in the Grade 3 Royal Delta at Gulfstream on Feb. 17, Soul of an Angel entered the Ruffian following a sixth-place effort in Oaklawn’s Grade 2 Azeri on March 9.

Presumably a private purchase prior to the Ruffian, Soul of an Angel made her first start for owners C2 Racing Stable and Agave Racing Stable. She has won 4 of 36 races for earnings of $372,675.

Master Piece takes Fort Marcy

Master Piece ($7) benefited from a pace-tracking, ground-saving trip to deny odds-on favorite Ottoman Fleet in the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy Stakes for 4-year-olds and upward at 1 1/8 miles on firm turf.

Ridden by Dylan Davis for Rick Dutrow, Master Piece settled into the pocket as Pioneering Spirit set moderate fractions of 25.02, 50.16, and 1:13.80, while prompted lightly from the outside by Olympic Dreams.

Ottoman Fleet, bidding for a second consecutive Fort Marcy score, rated behind the three leaders and commenced a three-wide bid on the second turn, but Davis wisely angled Master Piece off the rail to avoid the tiring pacesetter while bidding inside of the favorite.

Ottoman Fleet seemingly had tons in the tank turning for home but started to wander outwards while racing on his left lead.

Master Piece, the second choice in the wagering, snuck through inside of Ottoman Fleet, grabbed the front at the furlong pole, and stayed on to prevail by a neck in 1:48.68. Pioneering Spirit finished another 2 3/4 lengths back in third. Then came Limited Liability and Olympic Dreams.

Atone, Exact Estimate, and Siege of Boston scratched.

“[With all the scratches], I really thought this was a jockey tactics kind of [race],” Davis said in a televised interview. “I just wanted to come out running out of that gate, just get position, because once you get your position, I know they’re going to slow it down. I was saving all that ground. I got my run when [Olympic Dreams] started backing out into the turn, and then I got my spot to get outside of [Pioneering Spirit] before the big favorite came onto him. I thought [Ottoman Fleet] had too much momentum on the outside of me, but once [Master Piece] switched over to the right, he was super game. He just did not want to lose.”

Owned by Michael and Jules Iavarone, Nicholas Zoumas, and Frank Argano, Master Piece is an 8-year-old ridgeling by Mastercraftsman. Bred in Chile by Haras Don Alberto, Master Piece has won 8 of 29 starts for lifetime earnings of $832,577.

A Group 2 winner in his native land, Master Piece had previously captured the Grade 2 Eddie Read at Del Mar and the Grade 2 Red Smith at Aqueduct.

Master Piece earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 99, matching what he earned in his Red Smith and Eddie Read victories.

Dancing Buck hangs on in Elusive Quality

The complexion of the Elusive Quality Stakes for 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs on the outer turf completely changed when the expected pacesetter, favored Nothing Better, reared up at the break and wound up hopelessly last.

Jockey Manny Franco quickly analyzed the situation, sent Dancing Buck ($8.50) to the lead and the inside, and that was the winning move.

Dancing Buck took some pressure from Bring Me a Check and a three-wide Durante through fractions of 22.40 and 44.60 seconds, shook clear of Durante, then held off American Monarch’s late kick to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:07.58.

Alogon was third, a half-length behind the runner-up. He was followed home by Yes and Yes, Thin White Duke, Durante, Nothing Better, Our Shot, and Bring Me a Check.

A 6-year-old gelding by War Dancer, Dancing Buck won last year’s Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint in gate-to-wire fashion under Franco. After finishing off the board in his next four starts, trainer Michelle Nevin sent Dancing Buck to Santa Anita to spend the winter with trainer Rick Dutrow.

Dancing Buck finished twice there, both in graded stakes, and Nevin believed those races helped Dancing Buck in the Elusive Quality.

“It worked out for us great today because he had more recency than a lot of other horses in the race,” Nevin said in a televised interview. “He did great [in California] and came back in great shape.”

Bred in New York by J & N Stables, Dancing Buck is owned by J and N in partnership with Diamond M Stables. He has won 7 of 21 starts with earnings of $592,920.

Nevin mentioned the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur at 5 1/2 furlongs on June 8 at Saratoga as a possible next race for Dancing Buck.

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