Nothing Better Goes Wire-to-Wire in Turf Championship
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Nothing Better defeats Anaconda in the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship at Aqueduct Racetrack
Colts Neck Stables' Nothing Better utilized his typical frontrunning tactics to score a second stakes victory in the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship, a six-furlong grass test Nov. 25 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Jorge Duarte Jr., Nothing Better has never finished out of the money in six starts this season, including a stakes conquest in the Rainbow Heir Stakes Aug. 14 at Monmouth Park. The 5-year-old Munnings gelding carried his good form into a deep field that included three graded stakes winners, turning back several challenges to win by a half-length.
Nothing Better emerged well from post 3 under Horacio Karamanos with New York-bred and 2-1 favorite Dancing Buck tracking a close second through an opening quarter-mile in :22.16 over the firm turf. Nearing upper stretch through a half-mile in 44.37, Dancing Buck inched his way to even terms with Nothing Better, with the latter kicking away from his foe past the eighth pole, but a new challenge loomed as Anaconda launched a late rally in the final furlong. Nothing Better had enough in the tank to maintain his advantage to the wire, covering the six furlongs in 1:07.61.
Anaconda finished another 1 3/4 lengths ahead of late-closing Thin White Duke .
Returning $20.20 for a $2 win wager, Nothing Better banked $82,500 in victory, which brought his career earnings up to $356,317 and record to 7-2-3 in 18 starts.
Duarte, whose last stakes win on the NYRA circuit came with Introduced in the 2020 Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, said he knew the Michelle Nevin-trained Dancing Buck would be his biggest competition.
"Michelle's horse had some gas, too. But my horse has been very fast at Monmouth, which is known to be a speedy track. We planned to play the break and try to go to the lead if they let us," Duarte Jr. said. "Once you commit (to the lead) here, you hardly see a speed duel. The guys here are pretty smart about that, so we tried to take advantage of that and today it worked out."
"I sent him out and I took the lead right away," Karamanos added. "I got him to relax a little, and then at the eighth pole, I let him pick it up. He gave me one beautiful kick to the wire."
Duarte, who recently celebrated his 100th career win, said Nothing Better would likely get a freshening for the winter before resuming serious business in the spring.
Bred by Don Alberto Corporation in Kentucky, Nothing Better is one of three winners from four foals produced by the late Duke of Marmalade mare One True Love. One True Love is a half sister to grade 1 winner Folk Opera .
Nothing Better was a $230,000 purchase by agent Charlie Boden for his owner from the Brick City Thoroughbreds consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sale Company's 2019 Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.