Grannys Connection gets the upper hand in the Union Avenue Handicap (NYRA/Coglianese)
By Keith McCalmont – NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Grannys Connection lost a narrow nose photo to Kant Hurry Love last out in the Dancin Renee, but was 1 1/2-lengths the best over her familiar foe with a frontrunning score in Friday’s $125,000 Union Avenue Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Tom Morley for Orpen Horses, Jack Hardin Towell, Jr. and Alan Griffin, the 4-year-old Connect bay broke inward from the inside post under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano but quickly took command through splits of 21.89 seconds and 44.81 over the fast main track with Kant Hurry Love tracking in second. Grannys Connection kicked clear by 2 1/2-lengths at the stretch call and secured her first stakes win in a final time of 1:11.09.
Morley admitted he was holding his breath down the lane as the David Duggan-trained Kant Hurry Love continued to chase his pacey filly.
“She’s just naturally very, very quick and it’s always fun to have a horse that’s naturally very, very fast,” Morley said. “In these stakes races, the last hundred yards is always a bit worrying because you’re wondering who’s coming. Dave’s filly ran her eyeballs out today and they’re two very nice New York-breds.”
The Trevor McCarthy-piloted Kant Hurry Love was asked late in turn and could not threaten the leader, but dug in gamely to earn place honors by 2 1/2-lengths over Bank On Anna. Vallelujah and Temperamental completed the order of finish. Betsy Blue, who finished third in Wednesday’s Johnstone Mile Handicap here, was scratched.
Castellano, who picked up his third stakes win of the meet, said he was trying to ration the abundant speed of Grannys Connection.
“I didn’t want to ask her too much out of the gate because she’s so fast. After the first jump, she put everything together and she’s a free-running horse,” Castellano said. “Tom basically told me not to rush her too much because she’s naturally fast. We didn’t want to go too fast early and get caught in the end. She was enjoying herself out there. She had plenty left in the tank and I like the way she did it today.”
Grannys Connection, a $57,000 purchase at the 2021 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, graduated by 6 1/4-lengths at second asking in an open-company maiden special weight in January at Aqueduct Racetrack. She followed with a pair of open-lengths state-bred sprint scores over the winter at the Big A and returned to action off a two-month layoff to best open optional-claiming company by six lengths on May 28 at Monmouth Park.
Grannys Connection did all the hard yards in the six-furlong Dancin Renee on June 25 at Belmont Park, but was denied in the final stride by Kant Hurry Love, who had tracked in second throughout. Both horses carried 120 pounds last out, but Grannys Connection had a two-pound advantage over Kant Hurry Love, the 122 pound highweight, in the Union Avenue.
“I think last time she probably learned a lot because she kept winning by six and eight and ten lengths and she never had to run all the way to the wire,” Morley said. “Last time, it was the first time she’s ever had to fight it out. Today, she stuck her head out at the sixteenth pole and we were all just praying she could hold on there.”
McCarthy could only tip his cap to the winner.
“I had a really good break. I kind of hustled her away from there really aggressively and I tried to make Javier use his horse as much as he could,” McCarthy said. “Look, that filly threw out some fast fractions and we never let her out of our sight, but coming down to the eighth pole we just couldn’t get to her.”
Grannys Connection, bred by Paul Pompa, Jr., banked $68,750 in victory while improving her record to 7-5-2-0. She returned $2.90 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with an 11-race card featuring the $150,000 Galway in Race 7, the Grade 2, $200,000 Herb Moelis Memorial Saratoga Special in Race 8 and the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap, which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
