Tricky Zippy handles class rise in Union Avenue

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Trainer Jimmy Jerkens hasn’t had Tricky Zippy very long, but he’s sure happy to have her after the red-hot New York-bred filly made her stakes debut a winning one when she drew off to a convincing 4 3/4-length victory over favored Willet in Thursday’s $100,000 Union Avenue Stakes at Saratoga.

Tricky Zippy was surprisingly switched to Jerkens’s barn earlier this month by her owners, Newman Racing, despite having won each of her last two starts in impressive fashion for trainer Carlos Martin. A daughter of City Zip and the lone 3-year-old in the Union Avenue field, Tricky Zippy benefitted from a perfect trip under jockey John Velazquez, stalking the quick pace of Irish Whisper before taking command and edging clear in early stretch. She then readily extended her advantage through the final furlong over Willet, who ran well in defeat, finishing second despite being fanned extremely wide into the stretch while making her first start since mid-January.

Miss Da Point also finished well after losing considerable ground into the stretch, checking home third in a field of 10 New York-bred fillies and mares.

Tricky Zippy was well-backed despite making the big jump into stakes company, returning $7.70 as the second choice after completing 6 1/2 furlongs over a fast track in 1:15.78.

“She’s really quirky. You have to be really careful and have a lot of patience with her around the barn,” said Jerkens, who recorded his first win of the meet in the Union Avenue. “Carlos had her in perfect shape. All we had to do was keep her the same. A lot of credit goes to him. She broke running, was sitting right there, I knew we were in business when he [Velazquez] was laying that close without even asking her.”