Favored Listing rallies late in Quick Call
SARATOGA SPRINGS >> Part of the drama leading up to Thursday’s co-featured Quick Call Stakes (G3) was whether the predicted rain would hold off long enough for the race to be kept on the turf. The rain didn’t hold off, and the turf course was eventually downgraded to “yielding,” but the $100,000 stakes stayed on the grass.
Call Paul and Sombeyay, graded winners on dirt who were making their turf debut, attracted a lot of support at 5-2 and 5-1, respectively. But at the finish, it was turf specialists who prevailed, with Listing (the 7-5 favorite) sweeping by late leader Neverland Rock to get up by a halflength. Electronic, last for much of the race, got in gear late, necking Neverland Rock for the place.
“He has speed and he broke sharp,” said winning jockey Joel Rosario, who was aboard the California-bred son of Square Eddie for a minor stakes at Santa Anita in April. “I just wanted to hold him together and try to move at the right time. I got in between horses and he kicked home, and that was good.
“The turf is soft, but he was handling it fine. I rode him once on the dirt in California, and he went to the grass after and won easy. It was on the grass again today, so that was a good performance.”
Abyssinian, the lone filly in the race, broke first, with Call Paul and Neverland Rock keeping her company down the backstretch through a quarter in 21.68 seconds. Abyssinian still led exiting the turn but was quickly passed at the 3/16ths pole by Neverland Rock, who appeared on his way to victory. But Listing and Elektronic had the British-bred colt measured, rolling by in the final strides en route to their one-two finish. The running time over a yielding Mellon turf was 57.61 seconds for 5½ furlongs.
“We broke well, but the first quarter he didn’t handle the soft turf too good,” said Jose Lezcano, regular jock of fast-closing runner-up Elektronic. “I struggled a little bit to put him back on the bridle, but finally when I did, he gave me a good kick. He’s a nice horse.”
Listing is a Reddam Racing homebred and is conditioned by California-based Ben Cecil.
Sombeyay finished fourth and was followed by Abyssinian, Fully Loaded and Call Paul. Dunph, Gladiator King, Mount Travers and Release the thunder were scratched.