Star Grazing turns perfect trip into Fleet Indian win
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Star Grazing parlayed a perfect trip under jockey Angel Arroyo and the hot hands of trainer Jimmy Jerkens and owners-breeders Chester and Mary Broman into a three-quarter-length victory over the 9-5 Flipcup in Sunday’s $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes at Saratoga.
Star Grazing, a homebred daughter of Sky Mesa, was still a maiden when summer began and had finished off the board in her only previous stakes outing. A winner of each of her two previous starts, Star Grazing was well placed racing in mid-pack while saving ground from the outset of the 1 1/16-mile Fleet Indian.
Arroyo kept her on the rail into the stretch, deftly eased her out to find a seam between horses at the head of the lane, then wore down the tiring leader inside the sixteenth pole. Flipcup had no excuse, slipping through a big hole along the rail to overtake the tiring pacesetter Alwaysiinstilettos in early stretch before proving no match for the winner. Canal Street raced forwardly, tired, but held on to finish another four lengths farther back in third.
Ironically, Rajiv Maragh, who had ridden Star Grazing to each of her previous two victories for Jerkens, took off the filly to ride Flipcup for trainer Bill Mott in the Fleet Indian.
Star Grazing’s victory was the 10th of the meet for the Bromans, tying them with Michael Dubb for leading owner with seven programs left in the meet. Star Grazing completed the distance over a fast track in 1:53.40 and paid $10.20.