Vehemente secures victory in the Fleet Indian (Susie Raisher)
Christian Abdo/NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.- International Equine’s Vehemente grabbed the early lead and defended it to secure her first stakes victory in Thursday’s $200,000 Fleet Indian, a nine-furlong route for New York-bred sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Joe Sharp, the Vekoma chestnut made her first stakes attempt last out when a stalking third as the favorite to the victorious Lottie Margaret and runner-up Valtellina in the 1 1/16-mile New York Oaks on July 14 at Finger Lakes Racetrack. On Thursday, Vehemente turned the tables on those returning rivals while also holding off a new face in the favored Kay Cup for a 1 1/4-length victory in her longest race to date.
David Flynn of International Equine believed that a front-running trip could make the difference following a troubled off-the-pace run at Finger Lakes.
“Joe has been thinking all along that she’s never going to want to get passed. So, we just had a hunch. A five-horse field in these conditions; she loved the track,” said Flynn. “It’s been an amazing run. If you told me three years ago as a weanling that she’d be over $200,000 in earnings with [10-of-11] placings – it’s been an amazing run. All the credit goes to Joe and his team. I’m just along for the ride.”
Piloted by Kendrick Carmouche, Vehemente broke alertly from post two and was pressured by last-out state-bred Bouwerie-victor Kay Cup going into the first turn, but took clear command through an opening quarter-mile in 23.63 seconds on the fast dirt.
Carmouche slowed the tempo aboard Vehemente as Kay Cup, Carmen’s Candy Jar, Valtellina and Lottie Margaret filed in behind down the backside through a half-mile in 47.86. Vehemente’s lead was 3 1/2 lengths in the second turn as the complexion remained the same aside from Lottie Margaret losing touch with the field following three quarters in 1:12.09.
Vehemente went wide rounding into the top of the lane and Irad Ortiz, Jr., navigated Kay Cup to her inside approaching the three-sixteenths as the pacesetter, who was still two lengths clear at the stretch call, drifted towards the rail. Kay Cup attempted to close back to the outside of Vehemente, but the early leader found enough within the final sixteenth to hang on in a final time of 1:51.75.
Valtellina rallied belatedly to finish third a neck behind Kay Cup, with Carmen’s Candy Jar and Lottie Margaret completing the order of finish.
“She never changed leads again, but that’s just her. She just runs that way – don’t fix what’s not broken,” said Carmouche. “I’m just glad that she showed up and she showed the connections that she can make the distance and we can compete at a little bit bigger level.”
Carmouche, aboard for the New York Oaks and three NYRA-circuit sprint wins this year, believed Vehemente would relish added distance.
“I had told Joe Sharp to stretch this filly out the last time,” Carmouche said. “Being in those tight turns at Finger Lakes, it didn’t suit her. As you can see, whenever I got her outside that day, she started running again, starting getting back into her groove. We thought today we’d give her another try at the distance and just ride her out of there a little bit harder and try to get forward position.
“As you can see, she made every pole a winning pole,” Carmouche added.
Ortiz, Jr., said the Jorge Abreu-trained Kay Cup chased the runaway winner gamely.
“That horse never came back, honestly. I just had to chase them. Had to go after them. She ran away from me and my filly tried to make it home,” Ortiz, Jr. said.
Bred by Hibiscus Stables, Vehemente, a $40,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Mixed Sale, is out of the winning Stormy Atlantic mare Resoundingly and her second dam is multiple stakes-victor Fleet Wahine. She banked $110,000 in victory while improving her record to 11-5-2-3 and returning $11.40 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Friday with a 10-race card featuring a pair of New York-bred stakes with the $150,000 Seeking the Ante [Race 3] and $150,000 Yaddo presented by STIHL [Race 9]. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
