Studlydoright rallies to victory in Tremont Stakes
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Studlydoright replicated the same closing kick he used to win his maiden at Laurel Park last month to score a 1 3/4-length victory in Thursday’s $150,000 Tremont Stakes, the first of 23 flat stakes offered during the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga.
After breaking with the field under Xavier Perez, Studlydoright dropped eight lengths off the pace, which was set by Touchy and pressed by Three Echoes and Shoot the Nickel.
Racing along the inside down the backstretch, Perez tipped Studlydoright into the clear turning for home. Touchy, who had drifted out in the stretch re-engaged an inside running Three Echoes.
Inside the sixteenth pole, Studlydoright found another gear and motored past the tiring frontrunners. Touchy, the 4-5 favorite despite having never raced, finished second by a half-length over Three Echoes.
There was a stewards’ inquiry involving the second- and third-place finishers, but no action was taken.
In his debut, run over a muddy track, Studlydoright rallied through a narrow opening along the rail to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Trainer John “Jerry” Robb said he pointed the Maryland-bred son of Nyquist to this race to see if he could validate that performance.
“I knew he had that kick,” Robb said. “I knew they would outrun him early. We’re all trying to find out what we have. I like what I saw.”
Perez said as good as Studlydoright was in his debut, he was better Thursday.
“Today I saw he was amore focused,” Perez said. “The speed went like Jerry said was going to happen. I saved all the ground on the turn. When I tipped to the outside in the stretch he gave me 200 percent.”
Studlydoright, owned by David Hughes, covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.22 and earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure. He returned $29.80.
The inquiry involving Touchy and Three Echoes was the result of Touchy dramatically coming down toward Three Echoes in deep stretch. Flavien Prat, the rider of Three Echoes, said nothing happened that would have risen to the level of a foul or a disqualification.
“The leader came down on us but I never had to stop riding. I don’t think it really mattered much,” Prat said. “I had every chance to go by and never did.”
Following Three Echoes in the order of finish were Classic of Course, Brereton’s Baytown, Dew, Dominican Thunder, and Shoot the Nickel.
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