Sue's Fortune rewards trainer decision with Adirondack Stakes win

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Even as he gave jockey Junior Alvarado a leg up in the Saratoga paddock for Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack Stakes, trainer Jeremiah Englehart wasn’t sure if he had his New York-bred filly Sue’s Fortune in the right race.

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to run in this race or the race on the 24th,” Englehart said, referring to the $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes for New York-breds on Aug. 24. “I remember Todd [Pletcher] did it last year with Pure Silver. It came up a light field, she worked good last week, we decided to go ahead and take a shot here. A lot of times, you got to get a horse that wants to do it, and she wants to do it, and that helps make your decision.”

Englehart made the right decision to run, as Sue’s Fortune made the lead approaching the top of the stretch and held on to win the Adirondack by a half-length over Virginia Eloise. It was 2 1/4 lengths farther back to Guacamole in third. The second- and third-place finishers were trained by Pletcher, who indeed won last year’s Adirondack with the New York-bred Pure Silver.

Sue’s Fortune showed a different dimension by coming from off the pace under Alvarado. She had won her debut against New York-breds by 8 1/2 lengths in gate-to-wire fashion on July 5.

Alvarado said stalking was Plan B after Lyrical Lady, the 7-5 Adirondack favorite, sped off to the lead in an opening quarter of 21.72 seconds. Sue’s Fortune, fourth after the opening quarter, had moved into second after a half-mile in 45.53.

Sue’s Fortune took the lead leaving the five-sixteenths pole, opened up a three-length lead in midstretch and held off Virginia Eloise late.

Sue’s Fortune, a daughter of Jump Start owned by Fortune Farm, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:19.83 and returned $9.10 to win.

“By the three-eighths pole, she started pulling me,” Alvarado said. “I saw horses in front kind of struggling; the horses behind, they couldn’t keep up either. I thought I had to take a shot at that point, let my filly go, get away from them and hope she would hold, and it worked out.”

Alvarado said that the stretch was heavier than the backside.

“Definitely from the quarter pole to the wire, horses are struggling to get home – their legs feel heavy at the end,” Alvarado said.

Virginia Eloise was more than 10 lengths back after the opening half-mile. Her rider, Javier Castellano, said his filly didn’t like dirt being kicked in her face.

“I tried to stay away, but it still hit her in the face, and she backed up all the way,” Castellano said. “At the half-mile pole, little by little, I started picking it up. She kept coming, but it was too late today.”

Guacamole, who also seemed to struggle in the stretch, finished 7 1/4 lengths clear of fourth-place Mucho Amor. Lyrical Lady and Grandma Gertie completed the order of finish.