Bottas sits a perfect trip to take the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, NYRA Photo
Keith McCalmont
Jockey Manny Franco enjoyed a banner day on Friday at Saratoga Race Course, winning a record-equaling six races on the 11-race program topped by a stalking score aboard Bottas in the Grade 2, $400,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.
The victory in the one-mile inner turf test for sophomores was also a special one for trainer Miguel Clement, son of the late trainer Christophe Clement, who earlier today was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.
“Not a bad day,” Clement said. “I don’t know if it was Manny’s hot streak, Dad up above or someone deciding to help me out, but I thought it was great.
“I was the one last year who had to break the news that [Christophe] didn’t get into the Hall of Fame,” he added. “Every year we were delighted that he was one of the nominees and always a bit disappointed that we didn’t get selected, so it’s a very emotional day.”
Franco was over the moon at winning six races on a single Spa card.
“I’m in the sky right now. It is unbelievable, doing it right here in Saratoga, it means more. It means a lot. I’m just happy to get these opportunities,” Franco said.
Third Coast bumped with rivals at the break under Jose Lezcano, but soon recovered to show the way through splits of 23.53 seconds and 47.84 over the firm footing while being pressed by Blinging It Back, who broke awkwardly under Jose Ortiz.
Bottas exited the outermost post seven and stalked comfortably from fourth position to the outside of the favored Touch of Fire as Third Coast led the field into the final turn. Franco gave Bottas his cue late in the turn and took aim at the front pair, while keeping Touch of Fire hemmed in. Bottas, with right-handed encouragement from Franco, took command inside the final eighth and powered clear to win by 1 1/2-lengths in a final time of 1:34.67.
Blinging It Back stayed on strong to complete the exacta by a neck over the Irad Ortiz, Jr.-piloted Touch of Fire, who was behind rivals and made a late surge once tipped out to complete the trifecta by three-quarter lengths over Print. Third Coast, Arizona Territory and Vasy rounded out the order of finish. Glavine, who will contest Saturday’s Grade 1 Saratoga Derby presented by Qatar Racing here, and Immortalised were scratched.
Bottas, by Vekoma, is campaigned by Dahman and was making his fifth consecutive appearance in graded company, including a win in the Grade 2 Pilgrim in October at Belmont at the Big A.
The talented dark bay landed a 1 1/4-length fifth last out in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on July 4 here and was cross-entered in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1 Saratoga Derby. However, Clement opted to try the mile distance rather than square off once more with Belmont Derby top-three Title Role, West End Kid and Remember Mamba.
“I was worried about West End Kid and Remember Mamba, but in this race, I was only worried about Touch of Fire,” Clement explained. “With the two defections in this race, post seven was not as daunting as post nine originally was. It’s a very short run to the first turn. I thought with today’s setup, he had a better chance of being in the clear turning into the stretch than tomorrow’s.”
Clement praised Franco for a heady ride to keep 6-5 mutuel favorite Touch of Fire pinned to the rail.
“Manny rode him brilliantly, keeping Irad boxed in for a little bit longer and getting first run,” Clement said. “I’m convinced he does stay a little bit farther. If you watch his last race, he was impeded and crowded the whole way and was only beaten a length and a [quarter] in the Belmont Derby. Had things been different that day, we may have been more bold to go for the Saratoga Derby, but you can never be blasé about winning a graded stakes at Saratoga.”
Ortiz, who picked up the mount aboard Blinging It Back from the injured Edgard Zayas, said the dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse trainee was game in defeat.
“[Third Coast] wanted the lead, and I just sat off him, and [Blinging It Back] made a good run to wire,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz, Jr. lamented being stuck behind horses aboard the Brad Cox-trained Touch of Fire.
“I had a good trip, I was just a little boxed in. I had nowhere to go late,” Ortiz, Jr. said.
Franco’s incredible afternoon, scoring with 6-of-9 mounts, included consecutive wins with his first five mounts from Races 2-6, scoring with Mobile [No. 9, $16.44], Coach Ryan [No. 8, $6.52*], Anyway [No. 3, $7.12], Papa Yo [No. 1,$6.22] and Constant Force [No. 4, $18.20].
“This is an amazing place and doing it here is just amazing. This is the best place in the world, and I’m just so happy to be doing it here,” said Franco, who thanked his agent John Panagot. “I come in with confidence. I ride every race to win, any kind of horse. I’m positive every day with my horses, and I think that’s the way it’s been. Just having the support of all the owners and trainers here in New York, so I’m just happy to be in this position.”
His sextet of scores equaled a record shared by a pair of Hall of Famers in Ramon Dominguez [7/22/2012; 9/2/2012] and John Velazquez [9/3/2001], along with Irad Ortiz, Jr., who captured six races on July 25 here topped by a score aboard Counting Stars in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks.
Bred in Kentucky by BCS Thoroughbreds, Bottas banked $220,000 in victory while improving his record to 6-3-0-1. He returned $9.24 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with a lucrative 14-race card headlined by the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney [Race 12], which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in October at Keeneland. The stacked program offers three additional Grade 1 events in the $750,000 Fourstardave [Race 10] – a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile – the $750,000 Saratoga Derby presented by Qatar Racing [Race 11] and the $500,000 Test presented by Ticketmaster [Race 9]. First post is 11:45 a.m. Eastern.
The Whitney will be broadcast to a national audience on FOX as part of a two-hour edition of FOX Saratoga Saturday, which will begin at 5 p.m. Eastern. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
