Tommy Jo conquers the Spinaway (NYRA/Coglianese)
Keith McCalmont/NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Spendthrift Farm’s Kentucky homebred Tommy Jo, under a perfect ride by Kendrick Carmouche, powered away to a 6 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway, a seven-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.
The 134th running of the Spinaway, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar, was among three graded stakes on Saturday’s program that saw Praying take the Grade 3 Prioress and Bellezza capture the Grade 2 Flower Bowl.
Eric Gustavson, owner and president of Spendthrift Farm, said he was thrilled by the performance from the Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained Tommy Jo in her stakes debut.
“She ran great and is a homebred, which is extra exciting for us, that she was raised on the farm and every division on the farm had a hand in getting her here,” said Gustavson, who will be cheering on Ted Noffey, who they own outright, and Emphasis, who they co-own with Repole Stable, in Closing Day Monday’s Grade 1 Spendthrift Farm Hopeful here. “It was a big team win and we preach a ‘we, not me’ mentality at the farm first, so that’s a big deal for us. And she is named after our only granddaughter as well, so that is like the cherry on top of it all. Her name is Tommy Jo Gustavson.”
Tommy Jo, by Spendthrift Farm stallion Into Mischief, entered from a dominant debut victory on July 26 here under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, scoring by 3 3/4-lengths over next-out winner Tennessee Belle. With Velazquez in California to ride the Pletcher-trained Fierceness in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, Carmouche picked up the mount on Tommy Jo and engineered a perfect trip to secure his fourth career Grade 1-win and second at the meet following Deterministic’s victory in the FanDuel Fourstardave last month.
Tommy Jo exited post 5-of-7 and stalked from third position as previously undefeated graded stakes-winner Mythical dueled on the lead with Sina, who marked the opening quarter-mile in 22.22 seconds before the former put her head in front after a half-mile in 44.54 over the fast main track.
“That was pretty much what Todd and I thought going into it. We just let those horses develop the race,” Carmouche said. “With the stride this filly got and how she turned around the corner in her last race at the half-mile with Johnny V, I just let this horse cruise into the turn. I thought I was on much the best in this race, I just had to wait to go.”
Carmouche was content to track three-wide before advancing at the three-eighths and taking command late in the turn, opening up by six lengths at the stretch call and stopping the clock in a final time of 1:23.39.
It was a record-extending seventh Spinaway win for Pletcher, who had shared the record with the late Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, before Tommy Jo’s decisive score. Pletcher’s past Spinaway winners include Circle of Life [1999], Ashado [2003], Adieu [2005], R Heat Lightning [2010], Rachel’s Valentina [2015], and Sweet Loretta [2016 – dead heat].
“I think she got away a little cleaner today, put herself and Kendrick into a good spot. She is so push-button, runs the turns extremely well, and kind of blew the race open at that point, but she’s trained like a special one all summer and obviously her first two races have been very exciting,” Pletcher said.
The Luan Machado-piloted Percy’s Bar, last-out winner of the Listed Debutante at Churchill Downs, closed to finish second with another 4 3/4-lengths back to Rileytole in third. Day to Day and Mythical followed with Sina and Spirit Doll dead-heating for sixth. Meringue, who is entered in Sunday’s Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies; Steer Clear, who graduated in Race 2 here on Friday; and Ornellaia were scratched.
Machado said he was pleased with the effort from the Ben Colebrook-trained Percy’s Bar.
“The filly that beat us is very good. I’d like to see her [Percy’s Bar] going a little further. I believe she’s going to love it,” Machado said. “As you can see, she breaks well, but she doesn’t have a kick out of the gate and they kind of ran away from me. I believe going longer that won’t happen, we’ll see. I still like her. She’s still one of my favorite 2-year-olds. She’s very talented.”
Pletcher indicated Tommy Jo could make her next start in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Alcibiades on October 3 at Keeneland, a two-turn test that would serve as a bridge to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
“The way she trained into this and the way she galloped out in her breezes, it gives us confidence that she is not just fast, but can stretch that speed out as well,” Pletcher said.
Tommy Jo banked $165,000 in victory while remaining perfect in two starts. She returned $4 for a $2 win bet. Tommy Jo is out of the multiple Grade 1-placed Pioneerof the Nile mare Mother Mother, a half-sister to 2014 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby runner-up Commanding Curve.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 14-race card highlighted by the 107th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup. A special edition of Saratoga Live presented by Caesars Sportsbook will air on FOX from 1-2 p.m. Eastern.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup [Race 5] awards a “Win and You’re In” berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic and is one of two stakes on Sunday’s card, which also features the restricted $135,000 Disco Partner in Race 10. First post is 11:20 a.m. Eastern.
