Margaret Carrothers and Patricia Parker’s BAXTER (American Chance) entered
Sunday’s $100,000
Great White Way division of the New York Stallion S. off a
fourth in the Bertram F. Bongard S. at Belmont Park. That didn’t stop the
betting public from making the John Hertler-trained juvenile the heavy 7-5
favorite in the six-furlong test at Aqueduct, a move that paid out, literally,
in the end as the dark bay colt rallied for a game neck victory.
With Kent Desormeaux holding the reins, Baxter broke in front but was quickly
passed by his six rivals in the fast-track event. Coming three wide in the
stretch, he wouldn’t be denied, though, as he managed to get his neck down on
the line while stopping the clock in 1:10 4/5. Paying $4.90, $3.30 and $2.80,
Baxter started a $67 Hertler exacta with stablemate Landofopportunity (American
Chance), who returned $15.40 and $5.50 as the 23-1 longshot. Son of Sabato
(Precise End) gave back $3.40 at 5-1 for finishing another 1 3/4 lengths back in
third and ending the $294.50 trifecta (6-2-1). He was followed by The Zipster
(City Zip), Good Card (Good and Tough), Smash ‘Em Sammy (Rizzi) and Huge City
(City Zip).
Baxter increased his earnings to $93,915 with this score, and improved his
mark to 3-2-0-0.
There were three other New York Stallion S. on Sunday’s card, and it was
Camelia Casby’s homebred LAURENTIDE ICE (Intidab) who posted a half-length
victory in the $100,000
Fifth Avenue division, the fillies’ equivalent to
Baxter’s race. Trained by Mark Hennig, Laurentide Ice was also outrun early and
came with a wide late run to take the six-furlong race in 1:11 4/5 under
Cornelio Velasquez. Sent off the near 5-2 second favorite, the gray juvenile
miss returned $6.90, $3.10 and $2.30 while starting exotics worth $19 (exacta)
and $78.50 (2-1-7 trifecta).
Twistaway (Wheelaway) was the 9-5 favorite in the Fifth Avenue and held
second by 1 1/2 lengths to pay $3.50 and $3.20. All Fired Up (Good and Tough)
was worth $3.90 at 12-1 in third, and next came Nordberg (Precise End),
Crosstown Traffic (Good and Tough), Sweet Victory (Distinctive Pro) and Precious
Too (Precise End). Fiona Freud (Freud) was withdrawn.
Laurentide Ice earned her first stakes victory in this one, but had
previously placed in the Joseph A. Gimma S. and Maid of the Mist S. Her line now
reads 5-2-2-1 and she’s accumulated $130,620 in lifetime earnings.
Older runners also had their turn in the spotlight, though it was Jeffrey
Tucker’s three-year-old RED ZIPPER (City Zip) who held off his veteran rival,
five-year-old Pa Pa Da (Incurable Optimist), when taking the
$75,000 Cormorant division. The John Morrison charge challenged for and then set
the pace, going on to record a three-quarter of a length victory in his stakes
debut. With Eibar Coa aboard, the chestnut gelding ran 1 1/16 miles on
the good turf in 1:43 4/5 and now boasts an 11-4-1-0, $143,420, career mark.
Mary and Chester Broman Sr.’s homebred ARTISTIC EXPRESS (Western Expression) led home
a sophomore filly trifecta in the $75,000
Perfect Arc
division for trainer Ramon
Hernandez. Giving Velasquez his first of two stakes wins on the day, the chestnut lass was a neck up on her nearest rival at the line while finishing 8 1/2 furlongs on
the green in 1:44 4/5. Winner of last year’s Joseph A. Gimma S., Artistic
Express has placed in three black-type events this year and improved her resume
to 12-4-2-1, $220,380.