Devious Dame, Two of a Kind Win 2YO Stakes at Belmont
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Devious Dame wins the Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park
On an afternoon that spotlighted two juvenile stakes in New York, two shippers from Kentucky stole the show.
John Oxley's Devious Dame proved a handy winner of the first stakes race for 2-year-olds June 9 at Belmont Park, taking the $145,500 Astoria Stakes for fillies in a romp, followed by K and R Racing stable and Town Branch Racing's Two of a Kind leading throughout over Putthepastbehind in the $150,000 Tremont for 2-year-old males.
Two of a Kind ran the faster time of the two, clocked in 1:04.35 for 5 1/2 furlongs under Luis Saez.
Breaking smartly, as he did in a victorious debut May 4 at Churchill Downs, Two of a Kind took charge soon after the start while chased by Zelenskyy Strong through an opening quarter in :22.40. Midway on the turn, more horses moved into contention, with favored No Nay Hudson launching a wide advance, but Two of a Kind always stayed in front with splits of :45.48 and :57.76.
After dispatching of No Nay Hudson, who weakened over the final furlong, Two of a King pulled clear for a two-length victory over 24-1 longshot Putthepastbehind, who chased from a length or two of the pace throughout. Two of a Kind paid $6.50 to win.
Valenzan Day rallied from last to grab third, edging No Nay Hudson by a half-length for the show.
The Brian Lynch-trained winner, a son of Overanalyze bred in Kentucky by Christopher Swann and Wetherbee Holdings, is one of five winners and three black-type horses produced from the stakes-placed Freud mare Freud's Irish Miss . Two of a Kind is her youngest of six foals of racing age.
"We knew this horse was special," said Swann, co-breeder and racing manager for winning owners Town Branch Racing and K and R Racing Stable. "You always hear that from the beginning, it's cliché so to speak, but this horse was special."
Lynch indicated a race such as the July 16 Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course could follow for Two of a Kind.
Devious Dame Shows Off-Pace Dimension in Winning Astoria
The accomplishments piled up for Devious Dame Thursday at Belmont Park.
Not only did the 2-year-old daughter of Girvin successfully step up to stakes competition by posting a 5 1/4-length victory in the Astoria Stakes, but Devious Dame also learned something in the process.
In her maiden debut May 5 at Churchill Downs, Devious Dame challenged for the lead early before drawing off to a 5 1/2-length score. But ahead of Friday's 5 1/2-furlong Astoria, trainer Norm Casse decided to have his talented filly rate in the field of five juvenile fillies.
Devious Dame proved up to the challenge as she rated in fourth early as Alexis's Storm powered through a quarter-mile in :22.57 and opened a clear advantage through :46.16. But jockey Joel Rosario asked Devious Dame for her best in the turn and she surged forward on the outside, challenged the front-runner in the stretch, and took command mid-stretch.
Devious Dame completed the race in 1:04.75 on a fast track with Alexis's Storm holding second and Girl Bye finishing third.
Video: Astoria S. (BT)
"Yeah, it's scary when you decide to change tactics a little bit and you're odds-on but we were also trying to get her an education as well," Casse said.
Casse is leaning toward resting Devious Dame up to the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack Stakes (G3) Aug. 7 at Saratoga Race Course with a goal of stretching out to two turns in the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland in October.
Devious Dame is the first stakes winner for freshman sire Girvin, who stands for $6,000 at Ocala Stud in Ocala, Fla.