Sweet Reason aces Test for third Grade 1 win

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sweet Reason parlayed her affinity for Saratoga, a stellar training job by Leah Gyarmati, and a perfect ride by the red-hot Irad Ortiz Jr. to register a one-length victory over Miss Behaviour and Little Alexis in Saturday’s Grade 1 Test.

Sweet Reason became the first filly to win both the Spinaway and Test since Numbered Account in 1971-72.

The win was the fourth on the day for Ortiz.

Sweet Reason, a daughter of Street Sense owned by Treadway Racing Stable, launched her career at 2 with a pair of convincing victories at Saratoga, including a 5 3/4-length triumph in the Grade 1 Spinaway. She notched her second Grade 1 victory two months ago when rallying from near the rear of the pack to upset the one-mile Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park.

Sweet Reason broke alertly, then dropped off a contentious pace set by Fiftyshadesofgold and pressed from the outset by Southern Honey. Sweet Reason angled four wide advancing into the stretch, then rallied steadily down the center of the course to overtake the leaders and win going clear.

Miss Behaviour, well placed just off the early pace, gained a short advantage between calls near midstretch but proved no match for the winner while narrowly holding off the fast-charging Little Alexis, who finished best of all despite getting knocked about at the break.

Sweet Reason completed seven furlongs in 1:22.31 and returned $6.20 as the favorite in a field of 10 3-year-old fillies.

“This seemed like the perfect spot for her. She loves Saratoga, she’s shown she likes seven-eighths, and her one-turn mile at Belmont was great,” said Gyarmati. “This was the logical spot. I was very excited about running her here, although it did come up a very salty field. There were some really nice fillies in this race. This was probably her biggest test yet. Win, lose, or draw, I felt I’d done everything I could. She was as good as I could get her. I went in feeling good about the race. Not sure we were going to win, but sure she was going to run her best.”

Gyamati said she never relaxed until about two jumps before the wire.

“I saw she wanted to run, but there wasn’t room, and then he got her outside, and I didn’t know if there was enough time, so I didn’t rest until she hit the wire,” said Gyarmati.