Royal Posse Aces Evan Shipman Stakes Debut
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Royal Posse dug in deep and turned back a game rival in pacesetter Saratoga Snacks to win his stakes debut, the $100,000 Evan Shipman for New York-breds Sept. 4 at Saratoga Race Course. Zivo, racing for the first time since running eighth in last year's Breeders's Cup Classic (gr. I) and favored at odds of 4-5, finished fourth.
Royal Posse emerged from the claiming ranks three starts back, when trainer Rudy Rodriguez and owner Michael Dubb picked him up for $20,000 in a mile event worth $40,000 May 31 at Belmont Park. The 4-year-old Posse gelding was second July 24 and then won Aug. 20 in allowance optional claiming events at the Spa, both at the Shipman's 1 1/8-mile route.
"We entered the horse just to take a chance," Rodriguez said. "If he had finished third or fourth, it was going to be good."
It was Saratoga Snacks who inherited the lead after a good start in the Shipman, ambling along through a :25.37 opening quarter and a half in :50.14 under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. Javier Castellano had Royal Posse second throughout, and right off the frontrunner's outside hip by the time three-quarters went in 1:14.10.
From the turn to the finish line, the top two put in an exciting performance, as Royal Posse engaged in a relentless charge on the outside but Saratoga Snacks refused to give up. They flashed under the line in a photo finish after fighting through a 1:37.81 mile, and Royal Posse got the win by a nose in a final time of 1:49.91 on a fast track.
"I thought the other horse came back and beat us," Rodriguez said. "I thought we were kind of going to draw away from him, but the other horse is a very, very game horse. I have to give all the credit to Javier. He rode the horse very, very good and it looked like the slow pace helped us a little bit better."
The winner, off at odds of 5-1, returned $13, $5.60, and $4. Saratoga Snacks, the 3-1 second choice, brought $3.90 and $3.10. Empire Dreams, who was third throughout, brought $3.50. After Zivo came Gridley Here and Sea Raven.
"The way the race developed you could tell it was only a two-horse race," Castellano said. "All the rest of the field came from way back. I just rode my race; I gave a chance to my horse. He doesn't have to be on the lead. I thought Saratoga Snacks would be on the lead and I just wanted to follow him all the way. I was in the right place at the right time and he gave me a good kick today."
Royal Posse, who races now for Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and Gary Aisquith, was bred by Richard J. Troncone & Richard J. Troncone Jr. out of the Cryptoclearance mare Struckbylightning. He improved his career tally to five wins and five seconds from 23 starts for earnings of $272,245.