Union Strike ends skid in style in Gallant Bloom

ELMONT, N.Y. – She was talented enough to win a Grade 1 race as a maiden. But in the two years since taking the Del Mar Debutante, Union Strike had managed to win just once in eight starts.

On Sunday at Belmont Park, Union Strike rediscovered the winner’s circle, rallying along the rail under Jose Ortiz and outfinishing a five-wide-rallying Your Love to win the Grade 2, $300,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap by a half-length.

This despite getting stepped on at the three-sixteenths pole by Still There. The cut above Union Strike’s hoof seemed superficial to Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen.

“We should be fine, just some hair missing,” Blasi said.

Union Strike was making just her second start for Asmussen. She was sent to him along with the multiple Grade 1 winner Bolt d’Oro by Mick Ruis, who is the owner and was the trainer of both horses.

In her first start for Asmussen, Union Strike finished fourth in the Grade 1 Ballerina, five lengths behind Marley’s Freedom.

“We thought she’d run really well last time, we just weren’t lucky with the pace,” Blasi said. “It was a 23-second opening quarter. In Saratoga, that’s hard to make up ground into. We thought she bounced out of it really well. Her works coming into this were spot-on.”

On Sunday, the pace was quicker and contested as Kirby’s Penny went out in 22.57 seconds and had Lewis Bay and Highway Star stalking her intently.

Union Strike broke slowly and was sixth of seven early, only 4 3/4 lengths back.

Ortiz kept Union Strike along the rail until the three-eighths pole, where he briefly thought about going outside. At that point, Still There came off the rail, and Ortiz took advantage of the opening to move into contention.

Still There briefly came over on Union Strike, stepping on her at the three-sixteenths, but Union Strike kept charging and beat Your Love, who had to come widest of all turning for home, to the wire.

“I felt something,” Ortiz said. “After that, she took off.”

Union Strike, a daughter of Union Rags, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.24 and returned $14.40 to win.

Your Love, one of two runners trained by Chad Brown, came with a wide rally to finish second by a half-length over Kirby’s Penny. Still There, Holiday Disguise, Highway Star, and Lewis Bay, the 9-5 favorite trained by Brown, completed the order of finish.

Blasi said Union Strike would ship to Churchill Downs in the coming days, and the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint would be considered.

“It’s definitely a possibility off this race today,” he said.