Sunday Boy ($27.10) has breakthrough triumph in Great White Way
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It took six starts and the fight of his life, but juvenile colt Sunday Boy finally earned his maiden victory in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series on Saturday at Aqueduct.
Between multiple surfaces and various distances, trainer Jim Ryerson described a laborious five-month journey getting the valiant New York-bred into the winner’s circle.
“We had a great year with our young horses and he ran well his first time,” Ryerson said. “The second time, it discouraged me on whether he wanted to run on dirt or not. Sunday Girl [his full sister] had shown that she could do both, so we ran him on the turf. He’s been a bit of a trip trying to figure out what he wants to do. His last [race] really put him in a good spot for here.”
In the biggest stakes win of his career, jockey Christopher Elliott could not have asked for a better trip aboard the deep closer. Starting in 10th, Sunday Boy made a determined move between horses on the far turn and motored home with all the momentum in the stretch. He was clear by 2 3/4 lengths at the end, completing the seven-furlong sprint in 1:24.90.
“At the three-eighths pole, I said, ‘there’s too much traffic, some horses dying. I’m going to tip him out and see what I’ve got,' ” Elliott said.
Elliott also said that he was afraid he might lose the mount when Ryerson decided to take the chance in stakes company, but he made the most of the opportunity in his fourth ride aboard the colt.
“It’s huge for me, my biggest stakes win yet,” Elliott said. “We worked really hard with this horse, and I’m just very thankful that he left me on him.”
Parker Boone, the 4-5 favorite trained by Butch Reid, took a clear early lead on the backstretch through an opening quarter-mile in 22.50. But after blazing through a half-mile in 45.71, the Parx Racing shipper showed obvious signs of fatigue and gave way to several longshots, ending up in fourth.
Sunday Boy was one of seven maidens in the field of 14 and ran into another runner looking for his first victory at the top of the stretch. Combat Mission, a fourth-time starter for John Kimmel, closed from sixth and took the first shot at Parker Boone on the far turn. He and jockey Kendrick Carmouche seemed keen on springing the 17-1 upset turning for home, but they had to settle for second, six lengths ahead of the next finisher.
Sunday Boy paid $27.10 to win, and the $1 exacta with Combat Mission paid $127.43. Business really picked up when 34-1 shot Muscle Shoals nipped Parker Boone to take third for trainer Anthony Ferraro. The 50-cent trifecta in the deep field paid $1,004.45.
Ryerson said that he is unsure of a next spot for Sunday Boy. The decision between trying open company and sticking to New York-breds will likely come down to how those respective races line up with his training regimen.
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