Dads Caps Repeats in Aqueduct's Carter
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Vincent Scuderi's homebred Dads Caps overtook longshot pacesetter Green Gratto in the stretch and went on to post his second consecutive victory in the $400,000 Carter Handicap (gr. I) at Aqueduct Racetrack April 4 .
With jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, the 1 1/2-length win by the 5-year-old son of Discreet Cat in final time of 1:23.64 for the seven furlongs over a fast track was his first since his triumph in the 2014 edition of the Carter.
Dads Caps, trained by Rudy Rodriguez, paid $13.40, $6.20, and $4.70, as Green Gratto, who nearly led from start to finish at 53-1 odds, returned $30.20 and $11.60. Another longshot, Dream Saturday, paid $9.20 for third.
The Carter was the fifth win in 18 career starts for Dads Caps, who came into the race off consecutive second-place finishes in the Toboggan Stakes and Tom Fool Handicap, both grade III. His earnings now total $978,650.
Green Gratto, ridden by Fernando Jara for trainer David J. Smith, nearly stole the Carter at 53-1, cruising out to get the first quarter in :22.73 while stalked closely by Palace, making his first start since finishing sixth in the Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) last Nov. 1.
Green Gratto and Palace were still 1-2 after a half-mile was completed in :46.41 but the rest of the field was gaining rounding the turn. With six furlongs in 1:10.87, Green Gratto led a closely bunched group of four as Dads Caps began his move in upper stretch while being bumped and leaned in on by Palace. After rallying with an eighth of a mile to go, Dads Caps took over and inched away late for the clear victory.
The Big Beast, the 9-5 favorite whose four-race win streak previous to the Carter included the King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, was angled six wide in upper stretch and made a late rally to be fourth.
"To win this race back-to-back is amazing," Rodriguez said. "This is a good horse to be around, and we've had him since he was a baby, so it's special. A day like this means a lot to all of us; you work hard, and it pays off. Hopefully, it can just keep coming."
"The horse was great," Ortiz said. "I had to wait a little on the turn but I had a lot of horse so I just wanted to wait and follow the instructions Rudy gave me."
"We just have to wait for another day and give it another try," said trainer Tony Dutrow of The Big Beast's effort. "I think things went pretty well for the horse. We got trapped, but he (jockey Javier Castellano) got him out and we got him running there."