Wallyanna springs upset in Hall of Fame Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Wallyanna, far and away the longest price in the field at 23-1, benefitted from a Hall of Fame-caliber ride by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to run down even-money favorite Bobby’s Kitten and upset Friday’s Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga.

Wallyanna was claimed for $35,000 by his Delaware Park-based trainer, Michael Pino, this spring at Gulfstream Park for owner Tim O’Donahue. The lightly raced horse returned quick dividends for his new connections, winning his next two starts, including Pimlico’s J.W. Murphy Stakes, before finishing a hard-luck fourth last month in Indiana Grand’s Centaur.

Ortiz allowed Wallyanna to settle at the rear of the pack Friday off a swift early pace set by Bobby’s Kitten. Wallyanna, a Kentucky-bred son of Langfuhr, saved ground around the final bend but was still last as the field of just six 3-year-olds settled into the stretch. He then split rivals while rallying near midstretch and surged late to wear down the tiring favorite, edging a length clear at the wire. Give No Quarter finished another neck back in third.

Long On Value, Bashart, and So Lonesome completed the order of finish.

Wallyanna returned $49.20 after completing 1 1/16 miles over the firm course in 1:40.66. The win was Pino’s first at Saratoga. His best previous finish here was a second by Boston Common in the 2002 King’s Bishop.

“He was a little rank the first couple of times we ran him, but now he’s started to settle down in the mornings,” said Pino. “At the quarter pole, [Ortiz] looked like he had horse if he could get through, and I felt pretty good at that point. In his last race, he was way back, there was no pace, he lost a lot of ground, and got no trip. There weren’t a lot of 3-year-old races around, and this spot was here, the horse was doing great, so we just took a shot.”