Just Wicked Edges Tonasah in Adirondack

Just Wicked was content to let 6-5 favorite Tonasah set the pace in the $200,000 Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 15 at Saratoga Race Course, but when it came down to a stirring stretch duel, the 2-year-old Tapit   filly would not be denied.

Making her stakes debut off a July 24 maiden victory at the Spa for Ron Winchell and trainer Steve Asmussen, homebred Just Wicked closed from fourth under jockey Jose Ortiz and gave Tonasah unrelenting pressure down the stretch, causing her determined rival to cave just before the wire in the 6 1/2-furlong test.

"(Tonasah) is a really, really good filly," said Ortiz, who left the outside post 7 aboard the gray filly. "I broke well and by the three-eighths pole I had to move a little earlier than I wanted because she was loose on the lead and she was the favorite. It worked out well for us. From the three-eighths pole to the wire I really asked her to go hard and she responded well. (Tonasah) was really battling on the inside and the last couple of jumps my filly got away from her."

Just Wicked won by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:16.61 on a fast track, after following Tonasah's opening fractions of :22.21 for the quarter and :45.52 for the half, with three-quarters in 1:09.86.

"She had a great post today, Jose gave her a great ride, and I think she beat a very good filly," Asmuseen said.

Just Wicked is out of the stakes-winning Harlan's Holiday mare Wicked Deed, who was also trained by Asmussen.

"It's extremely satisfying. ..." he said. "We trained this filly's mother for the Winchells, as well, and she won a couple stakes. This is a very good filly and another graded stakes winner for the incredible sire Tapit."

Off at odds of 3-1, Just Wicked returned $8.70, $3.50, and $2.60 while Tonasah brought $3.20 and $2.40. Delicate Lady was about five lengths back in third, paying $3 at odds of 9-2. Decked Out, Lookout Sister, Kandoo, and Heartbreaker Girl completed the order of finish.

Just Wicked improved her record to two wins and a second from three starts for earnings of $184,800, having made her first outing a runner-up finish sprinting five furlongs on the Belmont Park turf before turning to 5 1/2 on the Saratoga dirt to break her maiden.

"We started her on the turf because we needed to get a race in her," Asmussen said. "We were hoping to run her on the dirt and did think she was this caliber of horse and deserved a chance in New York. The races on the dirt didn't go but she was ready to run. I think the experience has paid off, and she needed all of it to get to the wire today."

Todd Pletcher, trainer of Tonasah and Delicate Lady, had a positive outlook on his runners' efforts.

"I think Tonasah ran well considering it was her second time out, and the stretch out in distance from five furlongs to today at 6 1/2 (furlongs)," he said. "It was an encouraging effort despite getting caught just before the wire. Delicate Lady got creamed at the start. The No. 2 (Kandoo) took her out and when she finally got her legs under her late and finished out well. I think she should benefit from added distance down the road."