Ice Chocolat Holds a Sweet Hand in Poker Score

Ice Chocolat  sprung a surprise hand on his Poker Stakes (G3T) rivals, hustling to the lead en route to a gate-to-wire score under jockey Jose Ortiz June 8 at Saratoga Race Course.

Despite never displaying front-running speed in any of his starts since arriving in North America in 2022, Brazilian-bred Ice Chocolat had different ideas leaving the starting gate in the $350,000 Poker. Outgunning the speedy Talk of the Nation , Ice Chocolate swept uncontested through moderate early fractions of :24.41 and :48.17. As the field turned into the stretch, the stalking Talk of the Nation headed the pacesetter, but couldn't get his nose in front of the tenacious Ice Chocolat, who kicked clear late for a one-length victory.

"He brought his 'A' game today," trainer Mark Casse said of Ice Chocolat's performance. "You have to give a lot of credit to Jose (Ortiz). I don't give instructions. I told him to just play the break and see what happens. He said he broke running and from there, catch me if you can. This horse doesn't run on the lead usually, but one thing about this horse is he does get himself in a little trouble so he's actually a better horse than he looks. Today, obviously making the lead, Jose won it in the first half-mile. And he had nothing to get in his way. He's a pretty good horse."

Godolphin's Mysterious Night , a two-time winner in Dubai over the winter, faced traffic trouble down the lane but managed to get up for second by a head over Talk of the Nation.

Second-choice and multiple grade 1 winner Casa Creed  finished fourth in his first effort since running sixth in the March 30 Al Quoz Sprint (G1T) at Meydan Racecourse. The Bill Mott trainee had previously been targeting the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) later on the Belmont Stakes (G1) card, but opted for the Poker when the race's distance was moved from the traditional six furlongs to 5 1/2 furlongs due to the race being held at Saratoga.

Favored Carl Spackler , a last-out winner over Talk of the Nation in the May 2 Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs, flattened out in the stretch to check in fifth.

Ice Chocolat, owned in partnership by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Peter Deutsch, completed the mile in 1:33.97 in the Poker, blazing home his final furlong in :11.45. The gelding returned a whopping $50 at the windows for a $2 bet.

Casse indicated that the Aug. 10 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) could be next on the agenda for Ice Chocolat considering his penchant for the Saratoga turf. The 6-year-old son of Goldikovic  was a close third behind Casa Creed and Annapolis   in last year's Fourstardave.