Alogon (outside) and Works for Me hit the wire together (NYRA/Coglianese)
By Lynne Snierson – NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Irad Ortiz, Jr. was named to ride both Alogon and Works for Me in the Listed $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship on Saturday, and as it turned out, he would have made the right decision picking either mount. Alogon, ridden by Ortiz, Jr., and Works for Me, with Dylan Davis in the irons, hit the wire together for a dead heat victory in the six-furlong outer turf test for 3-year-olds and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Nonetheless, in the early running it seemed as though Jean Valjean and Hall of Famer Joel Rosario would be the ones posing for the winner’s circle photo as the 5-year-old gelding raced to the early lead and set fractions of 22.49 seconds, 45.18 and 56.64 for five furlongs. But Works for Me, who had tracked from third, was closing fast in deep stretch, with Alogon right behind. Works for Me split rivals nearing the wire and prevailed together with Alogon in a thrilling three-horse photo finish in the final time of 1:08.42.
Jean Valjean held on for third, another head back, with Twenty Six Black, Outlaw Kid, Son of a Birch, Shefflin, Senbei, Implementation, and Thin White Duke following suit. Grooms All Bizness and main-track only entrant Sheriff Bianco were scratched. The New York-bred Works for Me paid $20.40 and Alogon returned $5.20 for $2 wagers.
Davis said he got lucky to pick up the mount when the horse he was originally named on, Grooms All Bizness, scratched allowing Works for Me to draw in from the also-eligible list.
Joe Lee conditions Works for Me for owner KatieRich Stables, Christopher Connors, and Lawrence J. Appel, who bred him in New York.
“Joe Lee said to try to get him into the game out of the gate. He broke well for me and tracked nicely into the turn,” Davis said. “I thought Irad was going to go right by me late, but my horse found a little extra. I thought I got the bob there, but it is better than finishing second [laughs].”
Works for Me, who captured the state-bred Notebook over the main track here last year to give Lee his first stakes win, ran a creditable third here last out over turf on October 18 in the Carle Place at six furlongs and was fifth in the Listed Mahony two starts back on the Saratoga Race Course green.
“He’s always been a nice horse. I liked him since last year and I thought the grass moves him up a little bit, but he did run well on the dirt,” Lee said. “His preparation for the last couple of races weren’t how we wanted it – you can see that by the workouts – but aside from that, he always gives you 110 percent.
“He ran extremely well in his last race being 13 or 14 [lengths] out of it at the eighth pole and only getting beat 4 1/2 [lengths] to Run Carson and that was a speed favoring track that day, but he made up some ground,” Lee added. “I knew he’d run well this time, and I told the owners he’d turn tables – he was doing well, but he does like it a little bit firmer. He dug in and ran great.”
Trainer Ned Allard was equally pleased with the performance of Alogon, a 5-year-old California Chrome gelding whom owner Charles Matses bred in Kentucky, and with that of his rider.
“Irad had never been on the horse before and he said, ‘if there was any mistake I made in that race, I might have asked him to run a little too soon…but just by a little bit.’ I didn’t even know I won it. I thought I finished second, but the photo tells the story,” Allard explained. “Especially with sprinters in large fields, you need a lot of things to go in your favor. You can run the best horse and still get beat. We had a perfect trip, and I thought Irad rode him just fine.”
The compliments were reciprocal.
“I just ended up at the three-eighths pole right behind Dylan. I just bide my time. I hit the clear and my horse gave me a good run and his horse fought back. Thank God my horse got there. I felt like he came back on me, so I’m happy to win. My trainer is a nice guy, too, so congrats to him and the whole team,” said Ortiz, Jr.
As for the twist of being named to ride both horses in the dead-heat, Ortiz, Jr. gave the credit to his agent Steve Rushing.
“I don’t really pick [between them]. My agent does, so I just try to ride whatever I have to ride,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “He did a good job getting two live horses. That job is not easy, but I let him do his thing, and I do my thing.”
With the owners each banking a $56,250 share of the purse, Works for Me, a 3-year-old Daddy Long Legs colt, upped his career earnings to $307,705 and now boasts a record of 13-4-2-3. Alogon improved to 19-6-2-4 and a $397,799 bankroll.
Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card that features the Grade 3, $300,000 Long Island [Race 8] and $135,000 Forever Together [Race 7]. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.
