Vino Rosso opens new campaign with Stymie Stakes victory

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Vino Rosso returned to his favorite racetrack and kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a gritty three-quarter-length victory over Title Ready in Saturday’s $150,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct.

Vino Rosso was making his first start since a fifth-place finish in the Travers last August at Saratoga, yet still had the tenacity to hold off a horse that had headed him in midstretch.

“These are hard-knocking horses who can run 100 Beyers and they haven’t been off the layoff,” said Mike Repole, who owns Vino Rosso in partnership with Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable. “He hasn’t had a race in seven or eight months, so we’re pretty impressed.”

It was Vino Rosso’s fourth career victory; he is 3 for 3 at Aqueduct. At 2, he won his career debut going seven furlongs here. At 3, he won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, a race that propelled him to the Kentucky Derby, in which he finished ninth. Vino Rosso would race three more times as a 3-year-old with a fourth in the Belmont Stakes, third in the Jim Dandy, and a fifth in the Travers.

Following that race, the decision was made to put him away for the year and point to a 4-year-old season, according to Repole.

“Where were we going to go after the Travers?” Repole said. “I wasn’t looking to win the Discovery in December. We knew we had a good horse. He had a full campaign. We knew we were going to bring him back.”

Vino Rosso broke from the outside post in the eight-horse field. He was fresh and found himself four-wide, within 1 1-2 lengths of the pace established by California Night, Hero’s Welcome and Stan the Man, who were in close quarters through a half-mile in 45.93 seconds.

Vino Rosso drew on even terms at the five-sixteenths pole, and when jockey John Velazquez looked behind he saw Title Ready - last year’s Discovery runner-up - and Jose Lezcano right to his outside. Those two brushed in upper to midstretch and were on even terms inside the furlong marker. Velazquez went left-handed and Vino Rosso responded and edged away late.

Title Ready finished second by seven lengths over Shivermetimbers. Sunny Ridge, the 2017 Stymie winner, finished fourth and was followed, in order, by California Night, Stan the Man, Curlin’s Honor, and Hero’s Welcome.

Vino Rosso, a 4-year-old son of Curlin trained by Todd Pletcher, covered the mile in 1:35.27 and returned $5.80 as the favorite.

“He put in a good fight,” Velazquez said. “Once I got my whip to the left hand to let him know the competition was there he said 'I got to get away from the competition.’ I was just worried that I was a little too close too soon.”

Vino Rosso will stay in New York and will most likely make his next start in the Grade 1 Carter going seven furlongs on April 6. The Grade 3 Excelsior at 1 1/8 miles on the same card is also an option.