This time, Pulsate gets the job done in Lucky Coin
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Pulsate held the lead through midstretch before being overtaken by Battle Station to finish second in the 2020 Lucky Coin Stakes. But there was no denying Pulsate the second time around as he parlayed a perfect trip under jockey Manny Franco into a neck decision over Backtohisroots Friday at Saratoga in the 2021 edition of the $120,000 Lucky Coin.
Pulsate broke alertly and sat in the garden spot behind the early pace set by a somewhat rank Maven and forced from the outset to his inside by Noble Emotion. Maven still maintained a short advantage settling into the stretch but Pulsate advanced strongly to readily overtake the leader a furlong from home, edging clear briefly before withstanding a final surge by Backtohisroots. The latter engaged in a bumping match with Maxwell Esquire after the start, raced near the rear of the field into the stretch, shifted outside for the final run, and finished best of all down the center of the course.
Guildsman, the longest price in the field by far at 37-1, rallied up the rail to finish third. He was followed in turn by Noble Emotion, Holiday Stone, the 6-5 Maven, and Maxwell Esquire.
Pulsate, who registered his first victory since December of 2019, is trained by Robert Ribaudo for owner Marc Keller. Final time for 5 1/2 furlongs over the firm course was 1:02.39. He paid $15.
“Last year I wanted to run him in a three-other-than [allowance] on the turf before the Lucky Coin, but the race didn’t fill and I had to put him in the Troy instead,” Ribaudo recalled. “This year we got a three-other-than on the turf to go when he came back at Belmont but not up here, so I had to put him on the dirt last time because I felt I needed to run him one time before this race. And fortunately it worked out.”
Ribaudo was quick to praise Franco, who has now won three times on Pulsate, for orchestrating such a perfect trip.
“You couldn’t have scripted it any better,” said Ribaudo. “He broke well from inside and outran the rest of the field so he wasn’t boxed in down on the fence, was able to stalk the leaders, then got out with no problem to make his run.”
Franco said Pulsate is a much better horse on turf than dirt.
“He tried on the dirt but he’s a lot better on turf. I had a perfect trip. My plan was to sit behind [Maven and Noble Emotion], it worked out that way, and we got it done.”