Calibrachoa captured his fifth race in as many
starts at Aqueduct Racetrack with a victory in Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000
Bold Ruler Handicap.
Making his first start at the Big A since March, Calibrachoa prompted
pacesetter Rule by Night through opening fractions of 22.29 and 45.25 seconds,
claimed a narrow lead at the quarter pole, and shook clear of his rivals in the
stretch to prevail by 2 ¾ lengths over Sangaree.
“I waited until the quarter pole and when I asked, he gave me a
very good kick and won the race,” said winning jockey Jose Lezcano.
“I was watching the replays, read the paper, and it looked like he liked
it at Aqueduct.”
Calibrachoa completed seven furlongs in 1:21.32 and returned $4.20 for
a $2 win wager as part of a Repole Stable coupled entry that went off as the
even-money favorite. Caixa Eletronica, the other half of the entry, finished
third, three lengths behind the winner.
“I told Jose [Lezcano] to send [Calibrachoa], and he got pretty
comfortable up there sitting right off the Asmussen horse (No. 2 Rule by
Night), and when it came time he was full of run,” said Whit Beckman,
assistant to winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “He loves this track, and he
came back to show he still loves it.”
Calibrachoa was claimed for $40,000 by Pletcher on behalf of owner Mike
Repole out of a 4 ¼-length victory on the Aqueduct main track last November.
Following the claim, the son of Southern Image rattled off inner-track triumphs
in the Gravesend, Grade 3 Toboggan, and Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap, and finished
third in both the Grade 2 True North Handicap at Belmont Park
and Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga Race Course. The
4-year-old entered the Bold Ruler off a fifth in the Grade 1 Vosburgh
Invitational Handicap on October 1 at Belmont Park.
Overall, Calibrachoa is 8-3-3 from 17 starts, with the $60,000
winner’s share of the Bold Ruler purse lifting his earnings to $431,040.
Both Calibrachoa and Caixa Eletronica will be considered for the Grade
1 Cigar Mile Handicap on November 26 at Aqueduct, Repole said via email.
Rule by Night was fourth, followed home by Flat Bold and Justin
Phillip.