Strategic Dreams delivers as favorite in Ruthless Stakes

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez was triumphant with only one of the five favorites he sent out Sunday at sloppy Aqueduct, but it was the right one, as Strategic Dreams captured the $100,000 Ruthless Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths.

Kept outside and mostly in the clear by Manny Franco, Strategic Dreams, the 4-5 favorite, confronted pacesetting stablemate Danyelli at the eighth pole and, despite drifting out some in the stretch, was still too good for this group in the seven-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Blushing Justine, a 30-1 shot, rallied along the rail to get second by a head over Danyelli. Paranoia, Wall of Compassion and Dream Fever completed the order of finish as Rodriguez trained the first-, third- and fifth-place finishers.

On a day when he sent out 11 horses in eight races, Rodriguez won twice. Rodriguez also won race 7 with Uncle Sigh ($8.70), while even-money choice Broken Engagement finished third. He is the meet’s leading trainer with 15 victories.

For Strategic Dreams, it was her fourth victory in five career starts. She began her career winning a maiden $50,000 claimer at Saratoga by 14 1/4 lengths and ended her 2-year-old season by winning the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel.

In the Ruthless, Strategic Dreams received a similarly wide trip from the outside post. Last early while Danyelli and Paranoia dueled through an opening quarter in 22.90 seconds, Strategic Dreams advanced steadily three to four wide down the backstretch.

In upper stretch, Danyelli had put away Paranoia, but Strategic Dreams was ready to pounce. Strategic Dreams drifted out several paths while making the lead but still drew away.

“She’s still a baby. She got the job done,” Rodriguez said. “I think she started drifting out when he was hitting her left-handed a couple of times. We’ll see how she comes back and take it from there.”

Strategic Dreams, a daughter of Archarcharch owned by David Wilkenfeld’s Pick-Six Racing, Ian Behar, and Theresa Cotrone, covered the seven furlongs in 1:27.02 over a sealed, sloppy track and returned $3.90 as the favorite.