NEWS
Quality Road eclipses track record in Amsterdam
Posted: Monday, August 03, 2009 5:16 PM
QUALITY ROAD
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
For video of the Amsterdam Stakes, click here.
by Steve Bailey
Welcome back to the races, Quality Road.
The Florida Derby Presented by BlackBerry (G1) winner, sidelined since a pair of quarter-cracks kept him from the Triple Crown races this spring, returned with a vengeance on Monday as he shattered the Saratoga Race Course track record for 6½ furlongs in a 2¼-length victory in the $150,000 Amsterdam Stakes (G2).
The three-year-old Elusive Quality colt covered the distance in 1:13.45. shaving nearly a second off the track record of 1:14 2/5, set by Topsider on August 1, 1979, and more than two seconds off the previous stakes record of 1:15.97 set by Most Distinguished in 2007.
The victory sets up a possible showdown in the Shadwell Travers Stakes (G1) on August 29 with Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Mine That Bird, BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Rachel Alexandra, and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Summer Bird.
“He looked like he stumbled a little at the start … but he ran as well as we wanted him to today,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who sent out Quality Road for the first time since he arrived in his care from the barn of Jimmy Jerkens earlier this summer. “I thought he finished very well. When he makes the lead, he tends to idle a little bit.
“With a stable our size, wherever [Rachel Alexandra] runs, we’re going to probably wind up facing her. We might as well do it with one of our best horses.”
Despite stumbling at the start and chasing the pace from fourth, then third, through hot fractions of :22.45 through a quarter-mile and :44.95 through a half-mile, Quality Road showed his class approaching the stretch as he was angled five wide by jockey John Velazquez and powered home to the clear victory.
“He didn’t leave the gate very good,” Velazquez said. “I had to put him into the race a little bit and once I got him going and got him where I was happy with him, I didn’t want to move too soon or wait too long.
“[Quality Road] did real good. I’m sure he got a lot out of the race. We’ll have to see how he comes back and what they want to do next time.”
Grade 2 winner Capt. Candyman Can split rivals in the stretch and closed strongly to finish second, four lengths ahead of Captain Cherokee.
“I had a good trip,” said jockey Javier Castellano, who rode Capt. Candyman Can. “I was coming from behind. You could see the pace was pretty fast, pretty quick. They picked it up the second part of the race, [and I just followed] Quality Road.
“I thought I ran second-best today, unfortunately. I’m so proud of my horse, he gave me everything he had.”
An Edward P. Evans homebred, Quality Road won for the fourth time from five starts and boosted his earnings to $722,830. He set the track record for 1 1/8 miles while winning the Florida Derby (video), completing the distance in 1:47.72.
Quality Road is one of two winners from three starters out of the Strawberry Road (Aus) mare Kobla, a full sister to 1997 champion three-year-old filly Ajina.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times
