It took the entire stretch, but he got there, and Neat (Constitution) surged in the shadow of the wire to claim the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga on the day the Class of 2024 was officially celebrated.
Last seen winning the GIII Manila Stakes June 29 at the Belmont Big A meeting, he'd yielded to seven May 4 two back in the GII American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs behind eventual GI Belmont Derby winner Trikari (Oscar Performance). Before that he's been the nose spoiler back in April in the GIII Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland and had started his season trouncing runners in the Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile Stakes by 5 1/2 lengths.
Not breaking all that quickly, but settling well, Neat found himself near the rear of the field in territory he didn't always win from. Facing familiar foe Lagynos (Kantharos) again in this contest, he had that runner in his sights from sixth as the field rolled through :24.43 and :49.38 early splits. Responding well as they swung through the final bend and into upper stretch, Neat had to come from five off the fence via the overland route, but was closing relentlessly as Lagynos and the filly Buttercream Babe (Twirling Candy) were produced for that final rally. With the line coming and lengths still to make up, Neat nailed Lagynos in the final strides to return to the winner's enclosure for the sixth time in his career as the 7-2 second choice.
“He doesn't have 100 Beyers but he shows up every time,” said winning trainer Rob Atras. “He's one of those horses that is improving. Mentally, he's getting better, and he seems more dialed in every race. He runs more professional. I know he got a little rank on the backside, but Junior [Alvarado] was testing him to make sure [he had horse]–he's the kind of horse you love, cause they win.”
Atras conceded that Neat was further back than he'd expected the horse to be, but that fighting to the wire is nothing unusual given what they see in the mornings. It was sentiment Junior Alvarado echoed.
“It has been pretty amazing. Rob Atras has done a hell of an amazing job with this horse. Today, he settled very well behind the couple of speed horses. When I turned for home, I tipped him out and he was so game. He kept fighting and grinding and kept going after the horse in front. Eventually, he put his head [down] right in front of the wire.”
“I love this horse. He is my kind of horse–you can feel he has the fire to win. You can't beat the feeling to win a graded stakes here in Saratoga.”
#4 Neat gets his fourth stakes win in the G2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. at Saratoga under @juniorandkellya for trainer Rob Atras! 🍀🏆
A 7/2 top #ExpertPick for @ntamm1215! pic.twitter.com/QvQgS1XnRi
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 2, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Neat is a half-brother to multiple Graded-placed Louder Than Bombs (Violence), who was a staple on the Gulfstream Park black-type ranks in his day. In addition to that sibling, their dam Orabella can also claim a winning 2-year-old in Burning Pine (Nyquist), who tried her luck at Royal Ascot last month but only managing a distant 16th in the G3 Albany Stakes after breaking her maiden at Keeneland Apr. 26 by 3 1/2 lengths. Since then, the mare has produced a yearling filly by Medaglia d'Oro. After aborting her 2024 American Pharoah, she was bred to Practical Joke for 2025.
This is the female family of GI Spinaway Stakes winner R Heat Lightning (Trippi), who would be purchased by ,and exported to, Japan before ultimately producing GSW Aster Pegasus (Giant's Causeway). That mare's half-sister GSP Chocolate Coated (Candy Ride {Arg}) would also go on to produce a black-type earner in SP Chocolateaddiction (Pioneerof the Nile).
Friday, Saratoga
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING HALL OF FAME S.-GII, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-2, 3yo, 1mT, 1:36.38, fm.
1–NEAT, 124, c, 3, by Constitution
1st Dam: Orabella, by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Hot Trip, by Trippi
3rd Dam: Yellow Heat, by Gold Fever
($200,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Red White and Blue Racing; B-Hidden Brook Farm & Spruce Lane Farm (KY); T-Rob Atras; J-Junior Alvarado. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 9-6-0-0, $765,630. *1/2 to Louder Than Bombs (Violence), SW & MGSP, $264,554. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lagynos, 118, c, 3, Kantharos–Steamy, by Speightstown. ($200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud; B-Robert Spiegel (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $100,000.
3–Buttercream Babe, 116, f, 3, Twirling Candy–Runway Ready, by Mr. Greeley. ($140,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $180,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Three Diamonds Farm; B-Repole Stable, Inc. (KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $60,000.
Margins: NK, NK, 2. Odds: 3.50, 8.40, 5.30.
Also Ran: Please Advise, Crystal Quest, Zverev, Army Officer, Barksdale.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
