'TDN Rising Star' Showcase (c, 2, Uncle Mo–Buy Sell Hold, by Violence), a runaway debut winner going 5 1/2 furlongs downstate at the Big A July 6, muscled his way out for racing room in the stretch and stayed perfect in style going an additional furlong in Saturday's GII Saratoga Special Stakes.
The 3-1 chance traveled nicely in an inside fifth through an opening quarter in :21.85. All dressed up with nowhere to go at the top of the lane, Irad Ortiz, Jr. finally found a narrow seam and shifted Showcase off the rail inside the eighth pole as the tiring Ace It (Connect) began to back out of it.
Showcase ran to daylight from there to win going away by a much-the-best 3 1/4 lengths. First Resort (Uncle Mo), a debut winner over a muddy track at Ellis Park July 5, completed the exacta for his leading sire after setting the pace. Smoken Wicked (Bobby's Wicked One), a longshot second in the Bashford Manor Stakes June 30, was third.
A stewards' inquiry into the stretch run–focusing on Showcase, Smoken Wicked and favored fourth-place finisher Touchy (Nyquist), a debut second in the Tremont Stakes June 6–resulted in no change to the order of finish. The latter two raced shoulder to shoulder for most of the stretch run.
“I thought we were getting a great trip, until then it looked like we just needed to get lucky to find a place to go,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I was watching live and then turning to the head-on monitor, and I was like, 'Man, I don't know where he is going to find a seam here,' but fortunately it kind of opened up and he was game to punch his way through there and finish up well.”
Pletcher continued, “I thought that trip unfolded for us the way we thought–that we'd be sitting in a pocket behind some speed. He didn't get any kick back in his debut, so we hoped he'd react well to that, which he did, and it was a pretty professional effort.”
As for what's next, Pletcher added, “I don't know if we want to come back on Sept. 2 (for the GI Hopeful), that's back a little quick. If not, we can wait for the Champagne or the Breeders' Futurity, I guess we'll wait and see.”
Ortiz said, “I just had to wait a little longer than what I wanted to in there inside of those horses. When the horses outside of me started to get tired I worked my way out and after that it was so easy for him, he was very professional. He broke good and after that he was very professional, he stayed inside of horses took some kickback and he overcame everything.”
Pedigree Notes:
Showcase, a half-brother to Bourbon Bash (City of Light), MSP, $511,294, is one of 19 'Rising Stars' for leading sire Uncle Mo. Uncle Mo is now responsible for 103 stakes winners/52 graded stakes winners worldwide.
The winner's dam Buy Sell Hold, a full-sister to GISW and young sire Volatile, was a 2-year-old debut winner for J. Kirk and Judy Robison and Steve Asmussen at Keeneland and followed up with a victory in the Kentucky Juvenile S. at Churchill Downs.
Buy Sell Hold is also responsible for the unraced 3-year-old filly Sweet Pea (Union Rags) and a yearling colt by Gun Runner. She was bred to Life Is Good for 2024. Showcase's third dam Lady Tak won the GI Test S. and GI Ballerina H., both at Saratoga.
SHOWCASE, son of @coolmoreamerica stallion Uncle Mo, wins the Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes with @iradortiz aboard for trainer @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/YUrNYvbufo
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 10, 2024
Saturday, Saratoga
SARATOGA SPECIAL S.-GII, $200,000, Saratoga, 8-10, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:16.40, ft.
1–SHOWCASE, 120, c, 2, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Buy Sell Hold (SW & GSP, $125,520),
by Violence
2nd Dam: Melody Lady, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Lady Tak, by Mutakddim
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($300,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Harrell Ventures, LLC;
B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$110,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $159,500. *1/2 to
Bourbon Bash (City of Light), MSP, $511,294. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–First Resort, 120, c, 2, Uncle Mo–Fair Maiden, by Street Boss.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin
(KY); T-Eoin G. Harty. $40,000.
3–Smoken Wicked, 120, c, 2, Bobby's Wicked One–Street
Smoke, by Street Boss. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($38,000 Ylg
'23 BSLY&M). O-Valene Farms LLC; B-Tom Curtis & Wayne
Simpson (LA); T-Dallas Stewart. $24,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, NK, 2 1/4. Odds: 3.35, 9.30, 5.70.
Also Ran: Touchy, Ace It, Global Legend, Good Directions, Keep It Easy. Scratched: Noble Force.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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