By Bill Finley
Just five races after Mike Repole was visiting the Saratoga winner's circle with 2-year-old winner Life's an Audible (Audible) in Saturday's first race, the owner wasted little time getting back to that same spot. Repole won his second maiden special weight race on the day and his seventh at the meet when Agate Road (Quality Road) unleashed a furious stretch drive to win the day's sixth race, a maiden on the turf.
Repole's 2-year-olds continue to be a relentless force at the Spa.
“He's a nice Quality Road and we really liked him,” Repole said. “Todd (Pletcher) is having a great meet, we're having a great meet and my team is doing a great job. A lot of these are 2-year-olds we bought at the sales. Our 2-year-olds are running really well. We're really loading up for this year and next year.”
Agate Road was a $650,000 Keeneland September purchase and the dam, Yellow Agate (Gemologist) won the GI Frizette S. for trainer Christophe Clement. Though there didn't appear to be a lot of turf breeding in the colt's pedigree, Pletcher must have known something. He entered Agate Road in an Aug. 5 maiden that was washed off the turf. Agate Road finished second in the one-mile event, losing by just a nose.
But rather than staying on the dirt, Pletcher placed the juvenile right back in a turf maiden. The result was a much- improved effort from the even-money favorite. Breaking from the 10 hole in a field of 10, Agate Road came out at the start and by the time he could be straightened up by Irad Ortiz, Jr. he was last. Ortiz got the colt going near the top of the stretch, but it still looked like a lost cause. At the eighth pole, he had just one horse beat. But from there launched a stretch rally for the ages. He passed eight horses and made up about six lengths inside the final furlong to win by a neck over Stolen Magic (Good Magic).
“I wouldn't say it was a masterful ride from Irad when he went 10-wide,” Repole said. “He's had better rides. When he broke a little slow from the 10 post he was going to be wide. He must have come home in under 12. He was flying at the end.”
The final time for the mile-and-a-sixteenth run over a firm turf course was 1:46.79 and Agate Road paid $4.10.
From his army of 2-year-olds, Repole may not be done. On Sunday, he will run Scalable in a six-furlong maiden special weight race and Miz Sense (Street Sense) in the GI Spinaway S. On Monday, he will send out Be You (Curlin) in the closing-day feature, the GI Hopeful S.
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