Vacay dominated in her stakes debut Sunday to become her fast-starting freshman sire (by Giant's Causeway)'s third black-type winner. A 1 3/4-length first up winner in the Belmont slop Oct. 16, she was backed down to favoritism and soon showed why. The dark bay broke with the pack from her outside five post and settled in second last while always off the fence. Scrubbed on to hold her position into the bend, she mounted a wide bid into a :45.89 half and bounded past rivals over the top en route to a convincing success.
“She's a nice filly,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. “She looks like she can go a little further. I was trying to hold her position and as soon as we were turning for home, I asked her, and she took off.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher added, “I thought it was a very professional performance on her part. She didn't break great in her first start, but broke better today. She finished up the way you would want one to. She's a quality filly and it looks like she'll handle more distance as well.
“We always liked her quite a bit. She gives me the impression she's going to improve even more when we stretch her out a little bit.”
Pletcher said Vacay would likely remain in New York for the winter: “That's the most likely plan. I'll talk it over with the connections but I would like to take advantage of the New York-bred status.”
The winner has a yearling full-brother. Her dam was bred to Khozan for 2021.
KEY CENTS S., $97,000, Aqueduct, 11-15, (S), 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.69, ft.
1–VACAY, 120, f, 2, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Florida Sun, by Belgravia
2nd Dam: Wildcat Widow, by Forest Wildcat
3rd Dam: Open Window, by Trempolino
($100,000 Ylg '19 SARAUG). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Repole
Stable & Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-J Stables LLC (NY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $55,000. Lifetime Record:
2-2-0-0, $83,600. *3rd black-type winner for sire (by Giant's
Causeway).
2–Rossa Veloce, 120, f, 2, Girolamo–Spuntastic, by Hard Spun.
($12,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-Blue Streak Racing, LLC &
Raymond Handal; B-John Scott Rogers (NY); T-Raymond
Handal. $20,000.
3–Party At Page's, 122, f, 2, Gemologist–Auntgrace, by Lion
Heart. ($10,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Gold Star Racing Stable,
Emcee Stable LLC & Brian McKenzie; B-T/C Stable, LLC (NY);
T-Jeremiah C. Englehart. $12,000.
Margins: 5HF, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 1.55, 6.80, 3.25.
Also Ran: Chasing Cara, Shanes Pretty Lady.
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