Jack’s in the Deck broke his maiden with a
14-1 upset of the Grade 2, $150,000 Futurity for 2-year-olds, and
Millionreasonswhy kept her unbeaten record intact with a victory in the Grade
2, $150,000 Matron for 2-year-old fillies on Sunday at Belmont Park.
Entering the Futurity off a second at Delaware Park on May 25,
Jack’s in the Deck was reserved in fourth on the turn, split horses in
midstretch, and out-kicked his rivals to prevail by four lengths.
“The horse showed some talent his first time out, but the minute
the race started he showed me that he had these horses today and he looks like
he’s got a good future ahead of him,” said winning jockey Joe
Bravo.
Jack’s in the Deck, who had the longest odds of the six Futurity
starters, returned $30.20 for a $2 win wager and completed six furlongs in
1:13.36.
Winning trainer Robin Graham said she decided to enter the son of Love
of Money in the Futurity after multiple maiden special weight races at Delaware Park failed to fill.
“He’s been getting better as he’s trained, and we all
felt like going longer would be better for him,” said Graham, who trains
Jack’s in the Deck for Skeedattle Stable. “It worked out perfect.
[There was] a lot of speed in there. I thought at the top of the stretch he was
in good shape. I know he likes running at horses, so that was great.”
Jack’s in the Deck, bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, has
earned $99,600 to date, including the $90,000 winner’s share of the
Futurity purse.
Team Six held second and was followed home by favored Tarpy’s
Goal, Large Kaufy, Getupwiththesun, and Threeanddonedan.
In the Matron, Sagamore Farm’s Millionreasonswhy, a four-length
debut winner at Colonial Downs on June 11, rallied from last to retain her
unblemished record.
Sixth in the early stages, Millionreasonswhy commenced a four-wide
rally on the far turn and was kept to task in the stretch to defeat Say a
Novena by two lengths under jockey John Velazquez.
The final time for six furlongs was 1:12.68.
“I broke out of there and they came out a little, but I pointed
right to the inside and they came right back inside of me,” said
Velazquez. “I was kind of clipping heels so I said ‘You know what,
I’m going to take the safe way. I’m going to go to the
outside.’ And it happened that [Hook It Up] stopped, I went right to the
clear where it was a safe ride, and I didn’t have to check on her.”
The outcome did not come as a surprise to winning trainer Ignacio
Correas, IV.
“We always thought she was good,” said Correas. “We
chose to run her at Colonial [in her most recent start] to give her some
experience. We knew that she had talent. She had a really bad break but she won
anyway. You cannot ask for a horse to do better than she did [in her first start],
so why not give her a shot? We’ll look at Saratoga; she will take us there. If she
comes out good and does good, why not.”
The Matron victory was worth $90,000, lifting Millionreasonswhy’s
earnings to $103,340. A daughter of Grand Slam, she was bred in Kentucky by Tom Evans,
Tenlane Farm, and Oratis Thoroughbreds.
Dancing Anna was third, with Good Looking Girl, favored Defy Gravity,
and Hook It Up completing the order of finish.