Rose's Vision Bests Better Talk Now Field
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher
Rose's Vision and jockey Jose Ortiz (inside) get passed Have At It to take the Better Talk Now at Saratoga Race Course
A relaxed Rose's Vision swept up the rail and fought off Have At It with a gutsy move in the stretch to win the $100,000 Better Talk Now Stakes for 3-year-olds over the turf at Saratoga Race Course, earning his first stakes victory.
Among the entrants in the Aug. 27 two-turn mile were multiple graded stakes-placed Combatant and the favored grade 3 winner Strike Power.
However it was Ceevee who challenged Strike Power for the early lead and maintained the frontrunning position through fractions of :24.17 and :48.49 for the half-mile as the favorite settled into third. Jockey Jose Ortiz kept Chiefswood Stable's Rose's Vision tucked away at the rail, saving ground in mid-pack.
As Ceevee continued to lead through the second turn, Have At It, Westerland, and Prioritize all looked ready to pounce. But coming off the turn, Ortiz guided Rose's Vision through a spot on the rail and when he asked for more to get past a game Have At It, the son of NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner Artie Schiller gave the rider a burst that put them a neck in front at the wire.
"It was a good trip and the horse was there when I asked him," Ortiz said. "The instructions before the race were to break good and try to sit right behind the speed, and I did. I thought they were going a bit too fast on the front end, so I tried to stay back a bit further and I had plenty of horse to make a nice run from the quarter-pole to the wire. When I asked him, he was more than ready to start running and extended away."
The final time for the mile was 1:35.82 over firm turf. Rose's Vision returned $12.40, $6.20, and $4.20 across the board, while Have At It paid $6.30 and $4.30. Prioritize got up for third to pay $4.50. Combatant, who raced in last throughout the race, rallied for fourth, while Strike Power faded to last.
Trained by Stuart Simon, the Ontario-bred Rose's Vision has raced primarily at Woodbine where he has has come close to success in three stakes, including a second in the June 9 Plate Trial Stakes behind Telekinesis. He also won an April 12 allowance race at Keeneland.
"You always know you got to get lucky when you go on the inside like that, and it worked out good for us," Simon said. "It was a great ride by Jose (Ortiz), of course, so it worked out great."
The homebred competed in the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, but finished a disappointing 14th behind Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up Wonder Gadot.
"Bottom line: he's a turf miler to maybe as far as a mile and an eighth," Simon added. "That's his game. We kind of thought that. We chased the (Queen's) Plate because it's a million-dollar race back home, but we always did feel like this was his game.
"We'll regroup and have some talks about it. I've won the (Oct. 27) English Channel (Stakes) before in Belmont; that will be on our radar as one of our options."