Wit finds first turf triumph in Better Talk Now Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Wit made the most of a cushy spot and lively pace to register his first win on turf, an easy and popular 2 3/4-length decision over longshot Ohtwoohthreefive in the $135,000 Better Talk Now Stakes on Sunday at Saratoga.
Wit, a two-time Grade 3 stakes winner, switched to the grass for the first time earlier this month and finished a promising second in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes. He faced a decidedly softer bunch in the one-mile Better Talk Now, which was restricted to 3-year-olds who have never won a stakes other than statebred at a mile or over. Wit’s two graded stakes victories came at six and seven furlongs.
Wit, who raced near the rear of the field off a relatively soft pace in the one-mile Hall of Fame, found the early fractions more suitable to his stretch running style with Fluid Situation opening a long lead while posting splits of 22.93 seconds and 45.98 for the opening quarter- and half-mile. Wit rated kindly for jockey Jose Ortiz approximately a dozen lengths behind the leader, began to advance entering the second turn, readily struck the front upon settling into the stretch, quickly drew off and was not menaced thereafter.
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Ohtwoohthreefive raced at the rear of the compact lineup for six furlongs, split horses rallying through early stretch and finished willingly to be second-best while never threatening the winner. Napoleonic War was easily best of the others.
Wit, a 3-year-old son of Practical Joke, paid $3.30 as the heavy favorite after completing the distance over a firm course in 1:36.87.
“When a horse opens a huge lead like that it seems to complicate things a little bit, but Jose (Ortiz), once he saw Javier (Castellano aboard Fluid Situation) show some initiative he knew there would be an honest pace, so he just allowed him (Wit) to relax and bide his time,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “And it was nice to be able to take advantage of a condition like this. We feel like he sprung to life when we put him on the turf, when we worked him on it, it was obvious he really took to it, and I think for right now we’ll keep him on it.”