Technical Analysis heads Brown 1-2 in Lake George Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A cutback in distance and a heady ride by Jose Ortiz helped Technical Analysis resume her winning ways and continue trainer Chad Brown’s run of success in the Grade 3, $150,000 Lake George Stakes at Saratoga.
Turning back to a mile after a sixth-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Wonder Again Stakes, Technical Analysis sat two lengths off the pacesetting Jouster for the opening half-mile, took over from that one at the eighth pole, and bounded clear to a 1 1/4-length victory over the late-running Fluffy Socks as Brown ran 1-2 in the Lake George.
Fluffy Socks was a neck better than Tobys Heart, who was followed, in order, by Runaway Rumour, Minaun, Amy C, Demodog, Jouster, and Navratilova. Invincible Gal scratched. Minaun and Amy C also are trained by Brown.
Brown won the Lake George for the fifth time, all in the last seven years.
Technical Analysis had won a maiden race at Aqueduct last fall and an allowance race this April at Belmont, both at 1 1/16 miles. With the New York Racing Association offering lucrative pots for long-distance races in the 3-year-old filly division, Brown tried to stretch Technical Analysis out to 1 1/8 miles in the Wonder Again where she finished sixth.
In longer races, Technical Analysis pulls too much early on and doesn’t have anything left with which to finish.
Friday, the cutback to a mile “helped a lot,” Brown said. “You know you’re going to get more pace, and that’s what she really needed to get off the bridle down the backside and a good strong pace to run at.”
Though Technical Analysis did pull on Ortiz early on, Ortiz was able to get her settled around the turn and down the backside, racing inside of Navratilova and two lengths behind Jouster, who ran an opening half-mile in 47.93 seconds. Approaching the top of the lane, Ortiz took Technical Analysis to the outside, she dispatched of Jouster in midstretch, and the race was over.
“Cutting back to a mile, I could let her run to the first turn, then she came back to me nicely,” Ortiz said. “I thought passing the six-furlong [pole], she relaxed very well behind the horses. It was just a matter of time.”
Technical Analysis, a daughter of Kingman owned by Klaravich Stables, covered the mile in 1:36.61 and returned $17.60 as the sixth choice. Though the turf was labeled firm, Ortiz said he thought it still had some give in it.
Brown felt the turnback to a mile helped Fluffy Socks as well. She was last after the opening six furlongs and closed well to be second.
“She’s really probably a come-from-behind miler, she needs pace to run at, and I think that was the key to getting her back on track today,” Brown said.
Brown’s initial reaction to the performances of Amy C and Minaun is that he ran both back too close to their last races.