An
extraordinary afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack for owner Mike Repole
and trainer Todd Pletcher began when Unlimited Budget wired the field
to win the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle and Overanalyze nosed out
Normandy Invasion in the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen on Saturday.
One race later, the owner and trainer made it three stakes wins
in a row when Stay Thirsty beat Groupie Doll to take the Grade 1,
$350,000 Cigar Mile Handicap.
Purchased for $475,000 by Repole earlier this year, Unlimited Budget
was making just her second career start in the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle,
having scored a 9 ½-length maiden victory 15 days ago at the Big A.
Leaving the gate quickly under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the
Street Sense filly grabbed the lead and rolled through fractions of
24.36, 48.73 and 1:13.05 while running well off the rail with her three
rivals in pursuit. Challenged on the far turn by 4-5 favorite
Emollient, Unlimited Budget began edging away once straightened for
home and crossed the wire 1 ¼ lengths in front.
Her winning time under Velazquez, who celebrated his 41st birthday Saturday, was 1:52.16.
“You’re always concerned running back a little quick, but she seemed
to bounce out of the race pretty well, physically and mentally,” said
Pletcher of Unlimited Budget. “She did everything right, never seemed to
turn a hair, and came back with a really good work the other day. We
felt it was a calculated risk. For only her second start, it was a big
effort.”
The even-money second choice, Unlimited Budget returned $4.10 for a
$2 win bet and earned $150,000 in what will be her final race of 2012.
“We’ll take her down to Florida and won’t race her until February,
give her all the time she needs, and get her ready for a nice
3-year-old campaign,” said Repole.
Emollient was 4 ¾ lengths in front of Giant Cats Eye, with Flash
Forward completing the order of finish. Coconut Shrimp, Miss Patricia,
and Ruby Lips were scratched.
Overanalyze, one of three Pletcher-trained horses in the 1 1/8-mile
Remsen, tracked stablemate Delhomme through an opening quarter-mile in
23.99, a half in 48.07 and three quarters in 1:12.54. As the field of 10
headed into the stretch, Overanalyze moved up to collar the
pacesetter, and the pair was then joined by the late-running Normandy
Invasion with a furlong to go.