Velazquez's dropped whip aids Rock Fall's narrow win in Alfred Vanderbilt

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Few things have gone wrong for John Velazquez in the first seven days of the Saratoga meet. Same could be said for his main client, trainer Todd Pletcher.

In Saturday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Pletcher’s streak of good fortune continued. Velazquez’s did not.

In a thrilling stretch drive, it was the Pletcher-trained Rock Fall nosing out the Velazquez-ridden The Big Beast in a race where Velazquez lost his whip inside the three-sixteenths pole.

Holding his forefinger and thumb inches apart, a disturbed Velazquez said “it affects it a lot. I tapped him on the shoulder and it got stuck in the pad and that’s it, it was gone.”

Velazquez, the leading rider at this meet in terms of wins, had to resort to his goggles in deep stretch, but lost by the slimmest of margins.

Meanwhile, Pletcher won his second Grade 1 of the meet, the first when his horse actually crossed the wire in front. Last week, Curlina -ridden by Velazquez - was placed first by the stewards for interference near the wire.

Saturday, Rock Fall, under Javier Castellano, sat third while Favorite Tale set fractions of 22.71 seconds and 45.31 stalked by The Big Beast, who was kept several paths away from Favorite Tale down the backside.

Rock Fall made a four-wide move into contention around the turn and into the stretch. In midstretch, it looked like Rock Fall was going to easily go by The Big Beast, but The Big Beast seemed emboldened by the challenge and fought back. It was going to be a head bob at the wire, with this one going to Rock Fall.

“It’s tough to win a photo with a horse as big as The Big Beast,” Pletcher said. “When you’re head and head he has a head on you. We got a fortunate bob. It was a great horse race.”

The win was the sixth straight for Rock Fall, a son of 2004 Vanderbilt winner Speightstown - also trained by Pletcher - owned by Stonestreet Stables. He won his first stakes in the Grade 2 True North at Belmont on June 5.

“The True North was a good field but his race there were some really top horses,” Pletcher said. “Salutos Amigos has consistently been one of the top sprinters in the country. This is a big win for him.”

Rock Fall ran six furlongs in 1:08.75 and returned $4 as the even-money choice. The Big Beast finished second by two lengths over Favorite Tale, who was followed by Salutos Amigos, Viva Majorca, Clearly Now, and Departing.

Castellano had ridden The Big Beast to victory in last year’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop and knew he was a resilient colt.

“The Big Beast is a fighter, I give my horse all the credit because he never gives up,” Castellano said. “You hook up with him he fought all the way to the end.”

Though the Vanderbilt is considered a stepping-stone to the Grade 1, $700,000 Forego here on Aug. 29 at seven furlongs. Pletcher said “I’m not sure” when asked if Rock Fall would be pointed to that race. All seven of Rock Fall’s races have come at six furlongs