Workaholic ($75.50) shocks all with Cicada Stakes triumph

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Jockey Cory Orm had just won his first career stakes race on longshot Workaholic in Saturday’s $100,000 Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct and said he was just as shocked as the betting public that had dismissed her at odds of 36-1.

“I’m going to have to shower and eat and probably get a nap before I know what it feels like,” Orm, previously winless in 41 stakes rides, said. “I’m a little shocked right now.”

Workaholic, despite having to come from farther off the pace than she ever had and despite lugging in and failing to change leads, reeled in favored Miss Imperial and won the Cicada for 3-year-old fillies by three-quarters of a length. It was four lengths back to Stonesintheroad in third.

While Orm didn’t know how to feel afterward, there was growing concern about Miss Imperial, the 6-5 favorite, who fell a little more than a sixteenth of a mile past the wire, unseating jockey Manny Franco. After she lay on the track for several minutes, Miss Imperial got up and was walked off the track by her handlers. Dr. Anthony Verderosa, director of NYRA veterinarians, said Miss Imperial suffered from exhaustion but was otherwise sound.

Franco took off his mount in the next race, Ramblin Ma’am, who won under Luis Reyes.

Stonesintheroad, spooked by the fallen Miss Imperial, unseated jockey Rajiv Maragh while galloping out past the wire. According to the New York Gaming Commission website, neither the filly nor Maragh was injured.

Workaholic, a daughter of Sky Mesa owned by James McIngvale and trained by Laura Wohlers, won for the third time in 10 starts. She had finished second in a stakes over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface, but Wohlers said earlier in the week she thought Workaholic was better on dirt.

On paper, it looked like Workaholic – who does not race on the anti-bleeding medication Lasix – was better when put into the race early by her rider. But Orm, looking at the past performances, saw several fillies faster than her in the race.

“I was pretty much anticipating not being able to go with them,” said Orm, 30, who rides primarily in Kentucky and was making his Aqueduct debut Saturday.

Orm, knowing Workaholic’s tendency to lug in, put her on the inside part of the track early on. She was fourth, then fifth, but only about four lengths behind down the backside while Stonesintheroad and Forgotten Hero dueled through a quarter in 22.24 seconds and a half-mile in 46.88.

Orm said on the middle of the far turn he felt he had plenty of horse underneath him. Miss Imperial, who was getting a perfect stalking trip under Franco, took the lead at the eighth pole and looked like a winner.

Workaholic was running, but was also lugging in from the quarter pole to the eighth pole. A tired Miss Imperial was slowing down and Workaholic, who, despite failing to change leads, persevered past Miss Imperial just strides from the wire.

“I was running second and thought ‘That’s great for her,’ " Orm said. “[Miss Imperial] started coming back a bit and I still got horse and an eighth of a mile to go I thought 'We can grind this out, we can get there.’ "

Workaholic covered the six furlongs in 1:13.19 and returned $75.50 to win.

“She’s very game,” Wohlers told NYRA publicity by phone from Kentucky. “I don’t think I’ve had any horse, with the exception of Runhappy, that runs as hard as this filly runs every time. I was going to be happy if she hit the board, but when she got up there and took the lead, it put tears in my eyes.”