Portrade wins Turf Writers Cup
On Leave takes Riskaverse in stakes debut
SARATOGA SPRINGS >> Dismissed at nearly 13-1 after being 9-2 on the morning line, Portrade made his doubters pay Thursday by leading all the way in the $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap. Fellow longshot Andi’amu made up ground late but never seriously threatened the winner, who crossed under the wire a length in front.
The running time was 4:28.93 for 2 3/8 miles over firm turf. Scorpiancer, Schoodic and Charminster completed the order of finish.
The race was marred by the fatal breakdown of 3-5 favorite Bob Le Beau on the second turn. The 9-year-old gelding was vanned off and later euthanized with multiple fractures to his right hind leg.
Portrade led at every call, never by more than 2 1/2 lengths.
“The idea was to have an easy pace,” said winning jockey Gustav Dahl, who has been Portrade’s regular rider since the son of Trade Fair came over from Ireland. “He likes to be on the front end, and settles away once he can’t hear pressure behind him. That’s why he wears the hood as well — to dampen some of that noise. He jumps phenomenally, and he just kept his forward momentum going, stayed on and dug in.”
Portrade, who races for The Fields Stable and is conditioned by Elizabeth Voss — the same connections as Bob Le Beau — is now 4-2-4 in 16 starts over jumps. His earnings increased to $168,639.
Bob Le Beau raced 50 times (20 over jumps), winning 20 and earning $617,457. The Irish-bred son of Big Bad Bob was the defending champ in the Turf Writers Cup, and was coming off a win in the Grade 1 A. P. Smithwick earlier in the meet.
This is the second straight year the Turf Writers Cup was impacted by tragedy. Last year 2013 steeplechase champion Divine Fortune was euthanized after falling at the last hurdle.
On Leave is best in Riskaverse
In her two starts as a 2-year-old, On Leave managed to gain good position in the stretch but was unable to finish well enough to make it into the winner’s circle.
At three, it has been a different story. After a pair of back-to-back off-the-pace victories at Belmont in June and July, the 3-year-old War front filly made her stakes debut a successful one on Thursday, fashioning a rousing run through the stretch to prevail in the $100,000 Riskaverse Stakes.
“I went four-wide the whole backside,” said winning jockey Jose Ortiz. “When we got to the three-eighths pole, I asked her a little bit, and I had a ton of horse. Then, when I made my move at the quarter pole, she exploded.”
Marquee Miss took care of the pace-setting chores, running a quarter in :23.12 and then slowing down a bit through a half in :48.13. At this point, On Leave was biding her time in seventh.
Marquee Miss was still on top straightening out, but the field was about to swallow her up. Truth was the first to go by, but it was On Leave — motoring down the center of the track — who turned out to have the most momentum. The Stuart S. Janney III homebred made the front at the eighth pole and took it from there, widening her advantage to 21/2 lengths at the wire.
On Leave was clocked in 1 minute, 35.74 seconds for a mile on turf rated “good.” She Doesn’t Mind was second by a length and a half over Pricedtoperfection. They were followed by Truth, Marquee Miss, Baciami Piccola, Sky My Sky and Enjoy Yourself.
“She’s a pretty impressive filly,” said winning trainer Shug McGaughey. “I always thought she had potential, and of course she came back (in her first start this year) and won. She beat a pretty good field in her ‘A-other than’ race, and she even improved off that today. If we can keep going in the right direction, we’re going to have fun.”
On Leave has won 3-of-5 starts and earned $181,300. Her dam, Meghan’s Joy, has produced five other stakes winners, including Brooklyn Handicap winner Norembega (by Tiznow) and multiple graded winner Ironicus (Distorted Humor).
“She’s been quite a broodmare,” said McGaughey.