First Constitution, Sterling Silver Score at Aqueduct

Don Alberto Stable, WinStar Farm, and Twin Creeks Racing Stables' First Constitution  made every pole a winning one in $100,000 Jazil Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile test for older horses at Aqueduct Racetrack Jan. 22. 

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, First Constitution, a group 1-winner in his native Chile, secured his first win in North America with the 6 3/4-length score under an aggressively-minded Jose Lezcano.

Following splits of :23.13 and :46.78, the 5-year-old opened up a 5 1/2-length lead at the stretch call, and never looked back en route to a clear-cut score in a final time of 1:47.96. Why Why Paul Why completed the exacta by 10 lengths over Twelve Volt Man .

The prominent score marked the first stakes win of 2022 for Lezcano, who said he felt confident throughout despite the sharp splits.

"When we got to the backside, (Core Conviction) gave me a half-length in front of my horse and we really got comfortable," Lezcano added. "When we got to the half-mile he jumped back in the bridle and I knew I had a lot of horse. He's a very nice horse and did everything right to win the race today."

Forewarned  and Core Conviction  rounded out the order of finish. Empty Tomb , who will contest the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park, and Splicethemainbrace  were scratched.

The victory marked the second Jazil win for Pletcher, who captured the inaugural running in 2015 with Micromanage . Byron Hughes, Pletcher's New York-based assistant said the prominent steer from Lezcano paid dividends.

"I think Jose just took matters into his own hands and was a little aggressive into the first turn, but it paid off," said Byron Hughes, Pletcher's New York-based assistant.

First Constitution captured the Gran Criterium Mauricio Serrano Palma (G1) in his native Chile in October 2020. He was transferred to Pletcher last season and kept good company through four starts, running competitively.

"He's a Group 1 winner going a mile and three-sixteenths in South America, so you would imagine a mile and an eighth wouldn't be a problem up here," Hughes said. "Todd will get with the ownership group and decide what's next for him."

Bred in Chile by Haras Don Alberto, First Constitution is by WinStar Farm stallion Constitution   out of the Kitten's Joy   mare Antic . The dam has five starters and three winners from six foals. First Constitution is her lone stakes victor. The dam is related to a couple of group stakes winners in South America.

First Constitution banked $55,000 Saturday while improving his record to 9-4-2-2. He returned $7.90 for a $2 win bet.

Video: Jazil S. (BT)

Sterling Silver Shines 

One race after the Jazil, Mark T. Anderson's Sterling Silver  scored in her stakes debut $100,000 Franklin Square Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies, capping a four-win for jockey Trevor McCarthy.

After setting off the pace in fifth, she collared Sandy's Garden  inside the furlong marker and was wrapped up to a 2 1/4-length victory with 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.28. 

Sandy's Garden finished another 2 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Thinking It Over . 

The Tom Albertrani-trained winner paid $15.40 for a $2 win wager, now unbeaten in two starts with earnings of $93,500. 

"First time out she was really green and lugged in a bit. She'd been working pretty handy and pretty straightforward," McCarthy said. "She got a really nice trip today. The rail has been really good and we were able to sit on that for most of the way. She beat a nice filly, a horse who had shown some really good races. With a trip like that and the effort she gave today, I'm really proud of her. A huge credit to Tommy and all his employees, they've done a good job."

Albertrani, who is based primarily at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida during the winter, said Sterling Silver will improve with even more ground.

Sterling Silver has plenty of options moving forward in stakes company for sophomore fillies at the Aqueduct, including the open one-mile $250,000 Busher Invitational March 5 and the seven-furlong $100,000 East View Stakes for state-breds on March 27.

"We'll see how she comes out of the race and decide what's next from there," Albertrani said. "We may want something a little sooner than the East View or the Busher. We're not sure if we'll stay in New York or not."

Bred in New York by Mallory and Karen Mort, Sterling Silver is by Ashford Stud sire Cupid   out of the Distorted Humor  mare Sheet Humor . The dam, sent to the United States to Korea in 2021, has five foals, three starters and two winners. Sterling Silver is her first foal to capture a stakes race.

Her two unraced foals include a 4-year-old Speightster   colt named Ortiz, and an unnamed yearling colt by Not This Time  .

Sterling Silver was bought by Anderson Acres for $13,000 out of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase from the Denali Stud consignment.

Video: Franklin Square S. (BT)