Sounds Like a Plan breezes to easy Mohawk victory
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Saturday’s $200,000 Mohawk Stakes at Belmont Park looked wide open on paper. But it was a different story on the racetrack, with Sounds Like a Plan turning the nine-furlong turf stakes into a one-sided affair after drawing off to an easy, 4 1/4-length victory over Chummers and four other overmatched, older New York-breds.
Racing without blinkers for the first time since finishing seventh in an entry-level allowance race at Saratoga 16 months ago, Sounds Like a Plan was taken right to the lead after breaking alertly from his inside post under regular rider Ricardo Santana Jr.
Sounds Like a Plan, who finished a narrowly beaten third in this event a year ago after contesting the pace throughout, cruised along on an uncontested lead, then readily increased his advantage when sharply roused by Santana settling into the stretch.
Chummers, who posted three straight victories including two against 3-year-old statebred opposition this summer at Saratoga, rallied mildly to be second-best while no threat to the winner. Spirit of St. Louis, the tepid 9-5 favorite in a field of six, did not have the cleanest of trips, getting shuffled back to last briefly entering the second bend before rallying belatedly to be third.
Sounds Like a Plan, a son of Twirling Candy trained by Horacio DePaz, completed nine furlongs over the firm course in 1:46.41 seconds and paid $6.02.
“That was really good. He was able to control the race and set a nice, easy pace,” De Paz said. “He seems like a more mature horse now that he doesn’t need blinkers, so that gives us another dimension for how far he wants to go.”
Scramjet, who missed a scheduled start in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes due to illness, remained perfect in three starts, holding off a determined stretch bid from the 19-1 Fullcup to register a well- deserved half-length victory in the $200,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes for 2-year-old New York-breds. Professor Plum finished third.
Scramjet, winner of the six-furlong Funny Cide making his stakes debut eight weeks ago at Saratoga, led at every call stretching out to a mile for the first time in the Sleepy Hollow. He was ridden to victory by Kendrick Carmouche while giving trainer Linda Rice her second stakes win on the card.
Fullcup, third as the 8-5 favorite in the Funny Cide, returned to the dirt after finishing a tiring third against open company making both his turf and two-turn debut in the Laurel Futurity in his most recent start. He raced forwardly placed from the outset, continued along the rail down the lane, but was not quite good enough.
Big Handsome, the 2-1 co-choice along with Scramjet, finished fourth after having his best chances compromised as he banged the inside of the gate at the break.
Scramjet, a son of Authentic, paid $6.56 after covering the distance in 1:35.56 over a fast track.
"I was a little concerned about being in the one-hole when the draw came out. Kendrick [Carmouche] is such a great gate rider, and he understood to get him out of the gate and underway,” Rice said. Whether or not that meant falling to the outside in second or third or just staying on the lead, that was all up to Kendrick and he did a beautiful job."
Sculcos Folly, who dominated the New York-bred 3-year-old division early in the year, got back on the winning track and did so against older company by rallying to a two-length decision over the co-favored Buttah in the $200,000 Hudson Stakes.
Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., Sculcos Folly ran off four consecutive victories, three against statebred company during the winter and spring, before having that streak snapped when finishing second trying to stretch around two turns in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes. He took on older horses for the first time in his most recent start, finishing third after setting a hotly contested pace under allowance conditions on August 29 at Saratoga
Sculcos Folly stalked the pace of the 26-1 Factually Correct from the outset under Flavien Prat, gained control at the top of the stretch, edged clear, then held sway under steady urging. Buttah got hung up in some traffic on the turn before rallying mildly to be second-best once clear.
Sculcos Folly ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.07 and returned $6.10.
Senbei showed a surprising turn of foot, dragging Prat to the lead shortly after the start and never looking back en route to a 1 1/4-length triumph over Twenty Six Black to register a mild upset in the $200,000 New York Turf Sprint Championship. Bold Journey was third.
Senbei has not been on the lead in any of his last four starts, although three of those outings had come against open company, including a third-place finish in the Laurel Dash five weeks earlier. But he easily sprinted to the front returning with New York-breds on Saturday, shaking off the 4-5 Waralo nearing midstretch, then remained well clear the rest of the way.
Twenty Six Black, facing statebreds for the first time since winning this event a year ago, raced forwardly placed, split rivals upon settling into the stretch, rallied mildly but could not menace the winner.
Trained by Miguel Clement, Senbei covered six furlongs over the firm turf in 1:06.95 and paid $10.22 for his ninth victory in 26 career starts.
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