Be Your Best Runs Rides the Rail to P. G. Johnson Win

Michael J. Ryan's Irish homebred Be Your Best  surged up the rail to win her stakes debut in the Sept. 1 $150,000 P. G. Johnson Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juvenile fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Horacio De Paz and piloted by Jose Ortiz, who won four races on the card, the Muhaarar  filly entered from a stylish 3 1/4-length debut score traveling 1 1/16 miles July 31 over firm Spa turf.

"Jose had me a little worried at the quarter-pole. He was kind of inside, but he believed in the filly," De Paz said. "He's been working her in the mornings and rode her first time, so he knew what he had underneath him. Her mind is so good, I worked her with another 2-year-old and she was always handling everything very well. Everything she does is very classy. She's a classy filly."

The Junior Alvarado-piloted Recognize  took command from the outermost post 8 and set splits of :24.15 and :49.67 over the good going with Damaso  tracking in second and Be Your Best saving ground in third.

Idea Generation , who was forced wide through the opening turn under Flavien Prat, advanced with a wide rally into the final turn as three-quarters ticked by in 1:15.17. But a patient Ortiz cut the corner with Be Your Best and surged to the inside of Recognize to take command a furlong out en route to a 3 3/4-length score in a final time of 1:45.67.

Whichwaze , with Dylan Davis up, rallied from last at odds of 19-1 to complete the exacta by a half-length over Recognize with Idea Generation, Pachuca , Damaso, Lady Jasmine , and Indian Spideroo  rounding out the order of finish. Main-track only entrant Leave No Trace was scratched.

"I knew we were going slow going into the first turn, but I feel like the grass—the inner especially—is no good for speed. So, I decided to make a move and take that position inside," said Ortiz, who won this event last year with Miss Interpret . "The filly was so easy to ride. She did whatever I asked her to do. She relaxed well and had a beautiful turn of foot turning for home. The rail opened up and she gave it to me. I feel like she didn't give me 100%—she was playing with her ears passing the wire. She's happy and Horacio has done an amazing job with her."

It was the second Spa stakes score for De Paz, who won the 2017 Smart N Fancy with Ginger N Rye. He said the team may now consider charting a path to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) in November at Keeneland.

"Definitely, but we'll see how she comes out," De Paz said. "I think she's deserving of that spot. We'll look at (another start). She's a pretty fit filly but (we'll) kind of get with Mike Ryan on that and make the best decision."

Be Your Best banked $82,500 in victory while remaining perfect through two starts. She returned $4.70 for a $2 win bet.

She is the second foal out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Kamakura, a full sister to stakes winner Bay of Plenty and half sibling to the grade 1-placed runner Fortify.

Ortiz, who also won races on the Thursday card aboard Numero Seis  (Race 3), Invaluable  (Race 8), and Be the Boss  (Race 11).

Video: P. G. Johnson S. (BT)