Ozone Park, N.Y. – Don Alberto Stable, WinStar Farm, and Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ First Constitution, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, earned a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in Saturday’s $100,000 Jazil, a nine-furlong test for older horses at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Piloted to victory by Jose Lezcano, First Constitution led at every point of call, setting quick fractions over the fast main track a half-length in front of Core Conviction.
After a quarter-mile in 23.13 seconds and a half-mile in 46.78, Lezcano asked First Constitution for more approaching the turn and widened his lead in the stretch, cruising home a comfortable 6 3/4 lengths the better of runner-up Why Why Paul Why.
“It was a fast pace and he finished fast. It was a good effort and very impressive,” said Byron Hughes, assistant to Pletcher. “He was feeling good walking around the barn this morning and ate up his breakfast.”
The Jazil was the first American win for the 5-year-old chestnut, who won the Group 1 Gran Criterium Mauricio Serrano Palma in his native Chile in 2020. The son of Constitution was runner-up in a pair of optional claiming races in his two starts prior to his breakout win in the Jazil.
“There was definitely a lot of hype around him when he came here and we were excited to get him started,” Hughes said. “It took a little longer to get him into the winner’s circle than we anticipated, but it’s nice to get there now. Todd will get with the ownership group and figure out a plan for what’s next for him.”
Laurie Wolf and Glen Hill Farm’s Miss Interpret, who finished third last out in the seven-furlong Parx Futurity on December 29, has settled into Pletcher’s barn at Belmont Park.
Miss Interpret has had two works since returning to Belmont, most recently breezing a half-mile in 51.07 over Belmont’s dirt training track on January 19.
Hughes said Miss Interpret will look to regroup in the $100,000 Ruthless, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies on February 6 at the Big A.
“She’s been training really well,” said Hughes. “She breezed a couple days ago and that went well. We’re happy with where she is and hoping she’ll run better in the Ruthless than she did last time at Parx.”
Miss Interpret was bumped at the start in the Parx Futurity and held off the pace in fifth by jockey Kendrick Carmouche as pacesetter Collin’s Grey Lady set moderate fractions up front. Miss Interpret made a bid for the lead at the top of the stretch while swinging five-wide but lacked the rally she needed to reel in winner Stand Up Comic and was beaten 6 1/2 lengths.
A daughter of Street Sense, Miss Interpret was the winner of last year’s off-the-turf edition of the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga Race Course, besting three other rivals in her first start against winners to take the seven-furlong stakes by 1 1/2 lengths.
The bay filly contested graded stakes in her next two starts, finishing off the board in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland and the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct before shipping to Parx for her latest outing.
NYRA Notes/NYRA Press Office
Photos: NYRA/Coglianese
