Tricky Temper gets one up on elders. (Susie Raisher)
By Mary Eddy
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Jeremiah Englehart celebrated his second stakes win of the Saratoga Race Course meet when sophomore filly Tricky Temper swept past the pacepressing favorite Leeloo with ease to capture Friday’s $125,000 Union Avenue Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.
Englehart adds to a graded stakes victory with Mo Plex in the Grade 3 Sanford July 13, posting his fifth win overall at the meeting that began on July 11. Tricky Temper, campaigned by Mark Stanley, added a second stakes triumph to her resume, including a score in Aqueduct Racetrack’s state-bred Key Cents in November.
The win came on just two weeks’ rest for Tricky Temper after annexing a local third-level state-bred allowance over course and distance on August 2, which also came just two weeks after her previous start.
“Coming out of her last race, coming off that two weeks layoff, she was really strong in the mornings. She seemed really happy,” said Englehart. “I told Mark that when this race came back, it is another two weeks, we were nominated so we could probably go ahead and give it a go. He said, ‘I’m game, the next New York-bred stake isn’t until October.’ So, I just did the same exact thing the last time I brought her back after two weeks.”
Ridden to victory by Flavien Prat, Tricky Temper and Majestic Return both broke sharpest in the field of six before the latter took command through the opening quarter-mile in 22.23 seconds with Leeloo quickly accompanying the pacesetter to her outside.
A patient Prat held his charge in mid-pack down the backstretch before Leeloo ranged up with purpose under Jose Ortiz to threaten for the lead from the toiling Majestic Return, forging ahead to the front as the field reached the top of the lane after a half-mile in 45.46. Leeloo held a narrow advantage into the lane, but Prat angled Tricky Temper two paths out to go around the main competition and take dead aim at Leeloo.
With a strong shake of the reins and a few taps of the crop, Tricky Temper, whose 114-pound weight assignment was six pounds less than Leeloo, drew off impressively in the final eighth of a mile to cross the wire three lengths in front in a final time of 1:10.19.
Leeloo held second 3 1/4 lengths ahead of Security Code with Majestic Return, Cousin Kristi and Captainsdaughter, who trailed throughout, completing the order of finish. Cara’s Time was scratched.
Prat, who won his ninth stakes this meet, said Tricky Temper was there when called upon.
“Very straight forward. She jumped well out of the gate and gave us a good position right away,” said Prat. “I was traveling very well behind the leaders and when I tipped her out, she gave me a good kick.”
Englehart added it has been rewarding to find what works best for Tricky Temper, who had previously tried going long on the turf when off-the-board in the Listed Chelsey Flower last fall at Belmont at the Big A.
“In the mornings last year, I could never figure out what she was. I didn’t know if she was turf. I ran her the first time, and she won an off-the-turf dirt race, and I didn’t know really,” Englehart recalled. “In the mornings, she never grabbed the bridle, she just did what we asked her to do. This year, she’ll try to run off because she is just enjoying herself. She is having fun when she goes out there.”
Bred in the Empire State by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Lakland Farm, the Into Mischief bay is out of the multiple stakes-winning Any Given Saturday mare Winter Book. Tricky Temper, who was a $230,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, banked $68,750 in victory while returning $6.90 on a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Saturday with a 12-race program that features the Grade 2, $200,000 Lake Placid presented by Caesars Sportsbook [Race 9] and the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales [Race 10].
First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.
