Stonestreet Stables' Emery inhaled pacesetting Mystic Lake in the final strides to earn her first graded victory in the GIII Victory Ride Stakes at Aqueduct Thursday. The 3-5 favorite sat off the pace as Mystic Lake was pressed by Halina's Forte through fractions of :21.72 and :44.38. Emery loomed a threat three wide approaching the lane, but Mystic Lake skipped clear and looked home free in upper stretch only to have the favorite find another gear late to get up to win by 3/4 lengths.
“Short field, I was a little worried about the pace scenario, but both the two speed horses that I thought would go wound up sitting right in front of us,” said winning rider Tyler Gaffalione. “We were able to track them. When I got to the turn, I just kind of let my filly out a bit and she just kept building off of that. Coming into the stretch, the filly on the inside [Mystic Lake], she kicked home nicely, but my filly really dug in and finished the job well today. All the credit goes to [trainer] Brad [Cox] and his team.”
Flavien Prat, aboard Mystic Lake, was happy with the filly's runner-up effort.
“She ran a game race,” Prat said. “She is quick. She was doing well all the way around. She gave me a really good run turning for home. It would probably be as far as she wants to go. She ran well.”
Emery, a first-out winner at Saratoga last August, was fourth behind champion Just F Y I (Justify) in the GI Frizette Stakes. She resurfaced with a 5 1/4-length optional claimer win at Keeneland Apr. 19 and was coming off a 3 1/2-length tally in the seven-furlong Leslie's Lady Stakes at Churchill Downs June 9.
“She has a great mind and she broke her maiden at Saratoga last year first time out and had never breezed at Saratoga,” Cox said. “She handled all of that well. I really liked her a lot, and the Frizette last year just wasn't her day. She came out of it and had a break afterwards.
“We've always thought a lot of her and Stonestreet always allows you to do the right thing by the horse. Patience paid off today and we're very proud of what she's accomplished. We're looking forward to hopefully going on to bigger and better things.”
Of a potential next start for Emery in the Aug. 3 GI Test S., Cox said, “It's possible. We'll talk it over with the Stonestreet team and watch her first and foremost. There's a good shot she'll be getting on a van in a few days and heading to Saratoga.”
Pedigree Notes:
Multiple stakes-winning Athena has an unraced 2-year-old filly named Athena's Secret (American Pharoah) who sold for $250,000 to Tommy Town Thoroughbreds at last year's Keeneland September sale. Stonestreet Stables purchased the mare, in foal to Improbable, for $130,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale. She produced a filly by the late sire last year and a filly by Good Magic this spring.
Emery's third dam, Artful Pleasure, produced Grade I winner Peeping Tom (Eagle Eyed).
Emery is the 106th worldwide graded winner for the stalwart More Than Ready, who died in 2022.
EMERY surges down the stretch to win the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes with @Tyler_Gaff aboard for trainer @bradcoxracing. pic.twitter.com/GIA6WxoMP0
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) July 4, 2024
Thursday, Belmont at Aqueduct
VICTORY RIDE S.-GIII, $162,750, Belmont The Big A, 7-4, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:15.44, ft.
1–EMERY, 122, f, 3, by More Than Ready
1st Dam: Athena (MSW, $459,222), by Street Sense
2nd Dam: Race Rocks (Ire), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)
3rd Dam: Artful Pleasure, by Nasty and Bold
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($235,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV).
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Mary K. Grum (KY); T-Brad H.
Cox; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $96,250. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0,
$352,548. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks
report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mystic Lake, 124, f, 3, Mo Town–Salty Soul, by
Itsmyluckyday. ($3,500 Ylg '22 OBSOCT; $130,000 2yo '23
OBSMAR; $370,000 RNA 3yo '24 FTDMAY). O-C Two Racing
Stable & Stefania Farms, LLC; B-Peggy Costanzo (FL); T-Saffie A.
Joseph, Jr. $35,000.
3–Halina's Forte, 122, f, 3, Mitole–Lunarlady, by Yes It's True.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($130,000 Ylg '22 OBSWIN;
$250,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL). O-Rigney Racing, LLC; B-Bill &
Corinne Heilegbrodt & A.F.& B. Vanlangendonck (FL); T-Philip Bauer. $21,000.
Margins: 3/4, 5 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 0.60, 3.95, 2.90.
Also Ran: Autumn Evening. Scratched: Golden Degree.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
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