Under Control takes command in Lure Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It took until the age of 7, but Under Control is finally a stakes winner.

Winless in five previous stakes tries, Under Control took advantage of a perfect setup in Saturday’s $100,000 Lure Stakes and rallied by the two favorites, Charming Kitten and Reload, to win by 1 1/4 lengths at Saratoga.

Charming Kitten spurted away from Reload, the 3-5 favorite, in deep stretch to get second by 1 3/4 lengths. Manchurian High was fourth, followed by Fixador. Vyjack, the 2-1 morning-line second choice, was scratched as his connections plan to run him in next Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Fourstardave.

Under Control was making just his second start of the year. In his first start, he was beaten three-quarters of a length by Charming Kitten. Irad Ortiz Jr., the rider of Under Control, felt his horse had trouble that day.

On Saturday, with Ortiz up again, Under Control settled into fourth while Reload, under Javier Castellano, went to the front. Prompted first by Fixador and then by Charming Kitten, Reload put up fractions of 47.23 seconds for the half-mile and 1:10.71 for six furlongs.

Charming Kitten applied pressure on Reload down the backside, and they kept up their prolonged battle into the stretch while Ortiz guided Under Control into the clear and eventually past his two rivals.

“The two horses I had to beat were in front of me. I followed them, tried to get a good trip,” Ortiz said. “I was trying to get clear in the stretch, and my horse responded; he was there.”

Under Control, a gelding by Northern Afleet owned by Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation, covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.50, just 0.59 seconds off Fourstardave’s Mellon turf-course record for the distance. He returned $12.60 to win as the third choice.

“He had a beautiful trip today. I think this horse has improved actually as he’s gotten older,” trainer Graham Motion said. “He’s been a really neat horse. Ms. Weber always took care of him, gave him a break whenever he’s been running for a while. She’s treated him right, and I’m glad that it’s paid off for her.”