Nets First Graded Stakes win with pacesetting trip under jockey Jose Ortiz. (Walt Wlodarczyk)
By Brian Bohl
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – R Disaster came close to earning her first graded stakes win, posting three previous runner-up efforts, but she left no doubt on Saturday in breaking through by leading at every point of call for a 3 1/2-length victory in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Belmont at the Big A.
R Disaster, owned by Averill Racing, Two Eight Racing and Anthony Mattera, entered off a similar pacesetting win in a six-furlong optional claimer over a sloppy and sealed Saratoga Race Course main track on August 20. Under jockey Jose Ortiz on Saturday, the even-money favorite was forwardly placed again, this time on a fast track, with R Disaster breaking sharp from the inside post to lead the eight-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.10 seconds and the half in 44.73.
Out of the turn, R Disaster kept command and needed only light prompting from Ortiz to stay on task in the stretch, opening up on challenger Patricia Ann to complete the sprint in a 1:14.78 final time.
Sterling Silver, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, finished two lengths back in third with Impel, Senza Parole, Scalable, All Class and Street View completing the order of finish. Sunday Girl scratched and shipped to Delaware Park to finish third in the Endine earlier today.
The Florida-bred R Disaster returned $4.24 on a $2 win bet and increased her career bankroll to $563,680. After running second in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss in July at Saratoga, the Grade 3 Vagrancy in May at Belmont at the Big A, and the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie in March at Gulfstream Park, the 4-year-old Awesome Slew bay earned the graded winner’s circle trip.
It also gave trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. his first win in the Gallant Bloom, which concluded its 32nd iteration.
“Didn’t see that coming. We’re always nervous, but when we saw even money, that New York money is always right, so we’re happy to follow that,” said co-owner Anthony Mattera. “You always say, ‘well if she throws a clunker today, she has already done so much for us.’ We’re not big-time owners, and she’s a horse of a lifetime for me.
“It’s incredible. Saffie is very transparent with us where he tells us where he thinks she has the best chance to win,” he added. “We want to go out there and win stakes races, and this was impressive today. Jose did a great job. This is a dream come true. I grew up in south Jersey, so to come up here and win feels great.”
Added Ortiz, who won his third Gallant Bloom and first since 2018 with Union Strike: “She broke very alert and obviously she’s always very good from the gate. We got the one hole – that helps a lot. She was traveling very nice every step of the way and she was much the best. I give her all the credit today – the connections, Saffie… I was just the passenger. Just break good, make sure to call her at the right time. She was traveling very easy, and I was very happy throughout the race.”
Patricia Ann, trained by Carlos Martin, earned black type in her first career graded stakes start, and just one start after graduating to stakes company overall, running sixth in the Listed Floral Park two weeks ago on the Big A turf. That marked her only start on turf in nine career starts, and the return to the main track proved productive with Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano in the irons.
“Second-best; broke well out of the gate and got a good position in the race,” Castellano said. “I’m happy with the way she was traveling in the turn and then the winner never came back to us. Good second, just second-best today.”
Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the $150,000 Gio Ponti in Race 8. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
