Jody’s Pride wins the Ruffian (NYRA/Coglianese)
Keith McCalmont/NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable’s Jody’s Pride, under a perfect trip engineered by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, notched a sharp three-quarter length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian, a one-turn mile for older fillies and mares, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by Jorge Abreu, the 4-year-old American Pharoah dark bay made the third start of her campaign a winning one after a neck third in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Inside Information in January at Gulfstream Park and a troubled fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Azeri on March 8 at Oaklawn Park.
Jody’s Pride broke alertly from post 4 in the Ruffian, but Rosario followed Abreu’s instructions to the letter, stalking and pouncing to an impressive score over a closing Sterling Silver.
“Early on, in Florida, she got sick on me, and I had to skip a couple of breezes with her. She went into the Inside Information a couple of breezes short, and she ran a great race,” Abreu said. “We took her to the Azeri; she didn’t break, and she was four-wide and she just doesn’t want to come from back there. I said to Joel Rosario today, ‘whatever you do, she needs to be forwardly placed, but I don’t want you on the lead.’
“She broke well and he told me after that he thought about it [going to the lead], but he found a good spot,” Abreu continued. “When I saw her at the quarter-pole I felt pretty comfortable because he had a ton of horse and we were just waiting to find a way through – when he did, she exploded.”
Jody’s Pride and Headline Numbers broke well but it was Here’s the Kicker who was hustled up to mark the opening quarter-mile in 23.62 seconds over the fast main track. Headline Numbers asserted to take the lead through a half-mile in 46.40 with dual Grade 1-placed My Mane Squeeze, the 6-5 favorite under Manny Franco, looming large and eventually taking command through three-quarters in 1:10.43.
Jody’s Pride saved ground in fourth position under Rosario as Grade 2-winner Gun Song took an outside route with the Hall of Famer Javier Castellano-piloted Sterling Silver also finding her best stride late in the turn. Rosario waited patiently for room and found it to the inside of My Mane Squeeze, taking command at the furlong marker and powering to the wire in a final time of 1:35.04.
“Good trip. I was inside there for a little bit. I was enjoying when it opened up turning for home, but she looked like she wanted to be up there. She liked to fight and that showed at the end,” said Rosario, who won three stakes on the day, including a pair of scores for conditioner Christophe Clement in the Grade 2 Man o’ War with Far Bridge and the $150,000 Take the A Train aboard Love Cervere.
Rosario noted that he was briefly concerned about finding racing room for the stretch run.
“For a little bit yes, but it looked like she was game in there,” Rosario said. “I just had to go at that point and go from there. I knew she would like that. It worked today.”
Sterling Silver, a multiple graded stakes-placed New York-bred trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, completed the exacta 2 1/2-lengths in front of My Mane Squeeze. Morning Matcha, Headline Numbers, Gun Song and Here’s the Kicker rounded out the order of finish. The Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained pair of Dazzling Move and Claret Beret, who is cross-entered Sunday at Gulfstream Park were scratched along with the Chad Brown-conditioned Catherine Wheel and Michael Moore-trained Takethemoneyhoney, who are both entered in Sunday’s Serena’s Song at Monmouth Park.
Castellano said Sterling Silver was gallant in defeat.
“She ran such a good race,” Castellano said. “Saved all the ground, stepped up outside, I think she got beat by a better horse today unfortunately. My horse did show up and ran a good race, but was second best today.
“This is not a New York-bred race,” he added. “We stepped up a little bit with the Grade 1 horses and she was competitive. She almost won the race. I liked the way she did it, she was competitive.”
Jody’s Pride, a close second to eventual Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Just F Y I in the 2023 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, captured the Listed Busher Invitational here last year in a brief three-race campaign.
Abreu noted Jody’s Pride will now point to a potential start in the seven-furlong Grade 2, $300,000 Bed o’ Roses on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
Bred in Kentucky by Steve Weston, Jody’s Pride banked $110,000 in victory while improving her record to 9-4-1-1. Jody’s Pride is out of the Scat Daddy mare Jody’s Song, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed New York-bred Make Mischief and stakes-placed Speightful Lily. She returned $17.60 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing will resume Sunday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
