Isabelle Takes Third Straight in Broadway

Favored Isabelle surged late to collar pacesetting Atlantic's Smile in the final 70 yards to post her third consecutive win Feb. 14 in the $100,000 Broadway Stakes at snowy Aqueduct Racetrack .



Off at odds of 2-1, 4-year-old Isabelle posted a 1 1/4-length win in a time of 1:12.23 for six furlongs over a fast inner track. A patient Junior Alvarado was aboard for owner William C. Schettine and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.



"(She got) shuffled back, and got dirt in her face and she overcame that and Junior rode a great race," said Riley Mott, son and assistant of the Hall of Fame trainer. "The track was playing speed all day, so the fact that she was able to come off the pace like that was impressive."



Schettine paid $100,000 for the winning daughter of Successful Appeal   consigned by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale.



Bluegrass Farm Partners and Jeffrey Tucker bred Isabelle in New York out of the Gold Fever mare Merrill Gold.



Previously trained by Lisa Lewis, Isabelle has won five of her past six races since breaking her maiden by 12 1/2 lengths in the mud at Belmont Park in May. In her first race for Mott, the bay filly topped an allowance/optional claiming field Jan. 29 by three-quarters of a length on the inner track at Aqueduct.



Atlantic's Smile turned back the challenge of Vicki's Dancer midstretch after carving fractions of :23.14 and :46.89, but could not hold off the winner. Fifth at the quarter pole in the field of seven older fillies and mares, Isabelle charged four wide through the lane to win going away.



"I tried to send her a little bit but there was a fast horse outside of me; she brushed with the other filly and lost all her action," said Alvarado. "After that I just tried to get a good spot for her and make her comfortable without rushing her. I thought it was going to be harder than that, but I had so much horse. Everything ended up easy for me. Turning for home I put her outside and she finished very good."



Atlantic's Smile, ridden by Ruben Silvera, outlasted the late-running Make the Moment and Taylor Rice by a neck for second. Vicki's Dancer, Blithely, Uncle Southern, and Pennymine completed the order.



Making her eighth career start, Isabelle boosted her earnings to $281,400. She paid $6.10, $3.90, and $2.80 while carrying 117 pounds. Atlantic's Smile returned $4.60 and $3.50, completing a $21.20 exacta. Make the Moment paid $4.50.