Go Unbridled scored her first stakes victory Sunday afternoon at Belmont Park with a last-to-first rally in the
$100,000 John Hettinger for New York-bred fillies and mares.
Her victory gave Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens his first stakes
win of 2011.
“We win one every year,” said Jerkens, whose previous
stakes winner was Le Grand Cru in the Grade 3 Westchester on April 30, 2010 at
Belmont.
Ridden by Ramon Dominguez, Go Unbridled sat well off early fractions of
23.65, 46.82 and 1:12.07 posted by longshot Exclusive Scheme, then came
four-wide into the stretch as the front-runner began to fade. Closing rapidly
through the stretch, the 4-year-old Unbridled Jet filly overtook favored Spa
City Princess inside the eighth pole and drew clear for a 1 ½-length victory.
With the race having been moved off the inner turf, Go Unbridled
covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.33 over a main track rated “good.”
“They went pretty fast in front, and she’ll just keep
coming all day,” said Dominguez. “She’s pretty steady in her
run, and she never got tired. With a filly like her, it always helps when they
go quick, and that was the case today.”
Entered as Main Track Only and sent off as the 5-2 second choice in the
field of six, Go Unbridled returned $7.50 for a $2 win bet. Beaten a head in
both starts at Saratoga Race Course this summer, she extended her record to
3-3-4 from 13 starts and her earnings to $164,110 for owner Howard Whitbred.
“She’s a good girl,” said Jerkens of Go Un bridled,
who broke her maiden at Aqueduct Racetrack in January. “She ran well up
at Saratoga her
last two races and just missed. We’ll think about the seven-furlong race
[$100,000 Iroquois] on New York
Showcase Day [October 22].”
Spa
City Princess, the other
Main Track Only entrant, was seven lengths clear of Rogue’s Jewel, who in
turn was followed by Mineralogist, Akilina, and Exclusive Scheme. Freedom
Rings, Frivolous Buck, Gitchee Goomie, and Hessonite were scratched.