Coal Front makes it look easy in Amsterdam
By Jeff Scott SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » After Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez teamed up to win three of the first four races Saturday at Saratoga Race Course — at odds of 4-5, 1-2 and 5-1 — the obvious question was whether the duo could make it four of five in the $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes (G2). And why not? After all their horse, Coal Front, was the oddson choice at 3-5.
As it turned out, there was nothing to it. Sent to the front by Velazquez, and kept company for the first five furlongs, Coal Front ran away from the field in the stretch, extending his lead to three lengths at the eighth pole. The son of first-crop sire Stay Thirsty let up a bit in the late going, allowing Excitations to close to within a length and a half at the wire, but was never seriously threatened. The running time was 1 minute, 16.05 seconds for 6½ furlongs over a fast main track.
“We weren’t committed to the lead,” said Pletcher. “The thing we were focused on was letting him break and kind of find his rhythm. We knew he was fast, but we didn’t want to be in a speed duel. But we didn’t want to take away what is coming easy to him [either]. We kind of left it in Johnny’s hands. [He’s] a really talented horse.”
Coal Front broke well and made the lead from his no. 2 post, running a quarter-mile in 22.37 seconds, with second choice Mo Cash (7-2) close on his flank. Those two held their positions on the turn, and, after a half in :45.90, Coal Front turned the corner maintaining a short advantage. Mo Cash was done by the eighth pole, however, and except for Excitation’s late move, none of the other horses mounted a threat as Coal Front cruised home.
“It really worked out well,” said Velazquez. “We liked the post position, and we wanted to get into position anyway. He broke really well. He settled really well where he was. It was pretty easy, really.”
Singing Bullet finished a distant 7 ½ lengths behind Excitations for third. Mo Cash, Toga Challenger and Aquamarine trailed in that order.
As a son of Stay Thirsty, out of the Mineshaft mare Miner’s Secret, Coal Front is inbred 3x3 to A.P. Indy. As such, he can be expected to be able to handle longer going.
“We’ll see how he comes out of [this race],” said Pletcher, who mentioned the $500,000 Allen Jerkens on Aug. 26 as a possible next start. “He’s a horse with a strong pedigree and enough talent to stretch out, when the time is right.”
Coal Front, who is now 3-for-3 with earnings of $216,000, races for Robert V. LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners LLC. He was purchased at Ocala for $575,000 as a two-year-old in training.