Backtohisroots Finds His Wings in Atlantic Beach Stakes
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Elsa Lorieul
Backtohisroots wins the Atlantic Beach Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
An off-the-turf running of the $100,000 Atlantic Beach Stakes at Acqueduct Racetrack Nov. 10 proved to be a non-issue for Gatsas Stables' Backtohisroots, who sailed home to his first stakes win by 5 3/4 lengths.
Originally scheduled to be run at six furlongs on the outer turf, the race was moved to the main track because of inclement weather.
After a break from the rail under jockey Luis Saez, Backtohisroots settled along the inside and began to press the pace, as Neverland Rock took the lead through an opening quarter in :21.99.
Chasing in tandem with Absentee, Backtohisroots moved up to flank the leader, as the five-horse field entered the turn and emerged at the top of the stretch.
Backtohisroots was in control by a half-length as they reached the half mile in :46.28, drifted out to the center of the field and kept drifting as Absentee moved to the rail. Despite the wayward path, Backtohisroots kicked clear and pulled away from the pack to cross the wire in a final time of 1:13.15. Absentee finished second, 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Wallace in third. Honorable Hero took fourth and was followed by Neverland Rock to complete the order of finish.
"We tried to get the lead, but we missed the break a little," Saez said. "I wasn't worried, because I rode him once before in Saratoga, and I knew he could come from behind. He was very comfortable and when I had a chance to make a move, he took off. He took a little while to switch leads, and he was drifting out a little, but he was running well, so I just tried to keep him straight to the wire.
A 2-year-old son of Mark Valeski , Backtohisroots broke his maiden in his second start July 30 at Saratoga Race Course going 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt. He made his next start on dirt in the Sept. 3 Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, where he finished seventh, before he made the switch to turf for the Oct. 7 Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park, where he came in second.
"He's doing so well right now," said the colt's trainer, John Terranova. "He's really excelled since the Futurity and continued to improve every day. Coming into this race, we were so ready. It was just unfortunate about the weather, but nothing we can do. Luckily he's got some dirt form and he trains well over it, so he was able to handle this group nicely.
"He wasn't running over his preferred surface, because he moved up big time on turf last out. And that's going to be in his future, because he's really taken it to the next level now."
Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Great Family, Backtohisroots improved his record to 2-2-0 from five starts with $122,380 in earnings. He is the first black-type winner for his sire, whose first runners are 2-year-olds of 2018.
Two races later on the Aqueduct card, Exulting won an off-the-turf renewal of the $150,000 Artie Schiller Stakes going one mile on the main track.
Black Tide took control at the break and put 2 1/2 lengths between himself and his the field, as Exulting settled on the outside. The frontrunner ticked off fractions of :23.59 and :47.09 through the first half mile, and continued to lead along the backstretch, as Exulting and Profiteer ran head-to-head vying for second.
On even terms with Black Tide as they rounded the bend and entered the stretch, Exulting edged past Black Tide to take the lead before being guided to the rail by jockey Rajiv Maragh.
Backsideofthemoon moved from up last to get up for second but was not able to catch Exulting, who completed the race 2 1/2 lengths ahead in 1:37.97.
"Everything went smooth," Maragh said. "We got a great post on the outside, which we wanted, to get into a good rhythm. Down the backstretch I was just trying to be a good passenger and get him into a good flow, which he did. He just traveled well all the way."
Backsideofthemoon finished second and was followed by Black Tide in third and Profiteer in fourth to complete the order of finish. Eight horses who were entered in the Artie Schiller were scratched when the race was moved to the main track. Owned by Godolphin Racing, the Artie Schiller marked the first stakes victory for Exulting, a 5-year-old gelded son of Tapit .
"It's nice to pick up a stakes win with him, and he'll most likely stay for the winter," said winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. "We'll look at the Queens County (Dec. 22) as a good option for him from here."
Bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, Exulting is the first foal out of the graded stakes-winning Empire Maker mare Magical Feeling. Exulting was purchased as a yearling for $500,000 by John Ferguson from Dromoland's consignment to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The gelding holds of record of 4-1-1 in 12 starts with earnings of $267,822.
Video: Atlantic Beach S. (BT)