Stradale goes the distance to take the Mahony, Coglianese Photo
Christian Abdo
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Kaleem Shah’s Stradale secured his first turf and stakes victories in Sunday’s Grade 3, $225,000 Mahony, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Yaupon bay made his first eight starts on dirt, graduating fourth-out in October at Churchill Downs and earning an optional claiming score in March at Oaklawn Park, as well as two stakes placings.
Last out, Stradale made his turf bow and closed from ninth to land a three-length fourth behind victorious returning rival Learntodiscover in the Grade 3 Quick Call presented by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation over course and distance on July 19. He stayed on grass for the Mahony, sitting a prominent trip under Jose Ortiz en route to a neck victory.
“I think the break made the biggest difference today,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to Asmussen. “I think he likes to run a little closer like that. Jose said when he jumped out of there like that, it gave him some confidence and then he was able to put him on the bridle. He finished up strong.”
Asmussen and Ortiz also captured the Listed Smart and Fancy on Friday here with Zeitlos, a 6-year-old Curlin mare who similarly notched her first turf victory.
“I thought we saw enough in his last race that we’d give him another shot today,” Blasi said of the decision to keep Stradale on turf. “We’re glad we did.”
Stradale exited the outermost post 7 alertly and pressed the fast-starting Intricate Spirit down the backside to vie for command through an opening quarter-mile in 21.77 seconds over the firm turf that took some rain earlier in the day.
“He always showed speed before on the dirt, unfortunately last time he wasn’t able to be close. Today he was,” said Ortiz, aboard for the first time in the afternoon since Stradale’s debut last July here. “He broke very alert, and the other horse [Intricate Spirit] decided to go, so I just sit off him and [make a run] at the end.”
That pair held a two-length advantage over the ground-saving 3-5 favorite Outfielder and Quick Call-winner Learntodiscover around the turn. At the top of the lane, Stradale put away graded stakes-winner Intricate Spirit as Outfielder and Learntodiscover inched closer through the half-mile in 45.18.
“The other horse [Intricate Spirit] is a very nice horse and it surprised me that he backed up that quick, but it helped me because I was able to wait a little bit longer and hold off the closer,” Ortiz said.
As Stradale made the front, Oscar’s Hope, who was pinched early and dropped back to last under Junior Alvarado, revved up the outside while the slow-starting Rebel With a Cause advanced along the inside.
Oscar’s Hope cut into Stradale’s advantage with every stride in the final sixteenth, but Stradale had enough in reserve to prevail by a neck in a final time of 1:03.34.
“He was traveling very good every step of the way,” Ortiz said. “You worry if they’re going to like the soft ground, and he was traveling well at the three-eighths pole, but you don’t know until you turn them loose. When I turned him loose and he gave me another kick, I was very happy with him.”
It was 1 1/2 lengths back to Rebel With a Cause in third, with another length to Outfielder in fourth as he returned from a layoff dating to Royal Ascot in June. Learntodiscover, Big Destroyer and Intricate Spirit completed the order of finish.
Alvarado said the Kinnon LaRose-trained dual stakes-winner Oscar’s Hope showed a good turn-of-foot in his first turf attempt in 11 career starts.
“He broke OK, not as sharp as I wanted to, then I really got shut off coming out of there,” Alvarado said. “I tried to hold my spot the first couple of jumps and I couldn’t, so I ended up being a little farther back than I wanted to be. Then, when I found my way, I started picking it up, and turning for home, I was a little wider than I wanted to be. There was nothing else I could have asked of him. He gave me everything he’s got and came out with a beautiful, nice turn-of-foot at the end – we just fell a little bit short today, but he was great.”
Stradale was a $1.3 million purchase at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Twitterpated, a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Stormy Lucy. He earned $123,750 in victory while improving his record to 10-3-2-2 and returning $16.20 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes on Wednesday at Saratoga with an eight-race card, featuring the $150,000 NYSSS Statue of Liberty in Race 7. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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