Toupie draws away to victory in Stewart Manor. (Adam Coglianese)
By Brian Bohl
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Wertheimer and Frere’s Toupie handled a cutback in distance with aplomb, overtaking 52-1 longshot Greavette in the stretch and drawing away for a 2 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $120,000 Stewart Manor for juvenile fillies competing at six furlongs on the Aqueduct Racetrack outer turf course.
Toupie, a Graham Motion trainee who previously earned black type with a runner-up effort in the Rosie’s in September at Colonial Downs, was coming off a 10th-place effort in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Jessamine on October 6 at Keeneland. But she returned to sprinting and won for the second time in four starts and first since her debut eight-length score in July over the Laurel Park main track.
Under jockey Jorge Ruiz, Toupie stayed off the pace as Love to Eat led the 11-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 22.55 seconds before Greavette took brief command with the half in 45.79 over firm going.
Greavette, under rider Romero Maragh, pressed on in the stretch, but Ruiz urged Toupie when straightened for home and a stretch-drive surge from the outside gave her the lead as she hit the wire in a 1:09.92 final time.
Marco T., ridden by Manny Franco, finished strong for second, topping Greavette by three-quarters of a length for the runner-up honors. Shop Lifting, the favorite, finished fourth, while Ever So Sweet, Camila T, Gram, She’s Fire, Nicky Jolene, Rosie Jeeks and Love to Eat completed the order of finish.
Independenceavenue and main track only entrant Caress was scratched.
The win was a first stakes win at a NYRA track for Ruiz.
“She is a very smart filly. Graham Motion and his team did a great job with her,” Ruiz said. “The instructions were to break well and get good position. I just waited for my run. I rode her at Colonial, and she finished second. Today, she responded big when I asked her.”
Toupie, a Kentucky homebred, went off at 9-1 and paid $21.00 on a $2 win wager. The Uncle Mo filly improved to 2-1-0 in four starts and increased her career bankroll to $126,575.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with a nine-race card featuring three stakes, including the $150,000 Tempted for 2-year-old fillies going one mile; the $150,000 Nashua for juveniles competing at one mile; and the $135,000 Pumpkin Pie for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at seven furlongs. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.
America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
