In a dramatic stretch duel, Indy Bay demonstrated remarkable grit to capture the $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes on Sunday at Saratoga. The Saffie Joseph, Jr. trainee overcame a bobble at the start and wore down a determined pacesetter, Long Neck Paula, in the final strides to win by a head.
The six-furlong sprint for three-year-old fillies saw Long Neck Paula break sharply and dictate the terms from the outset. Under jockey John Velazquez, she carved out swift early fractions of 22.34 and 44.97 seconds while maintaining a narrow lead.
Indy Bay, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons, recovered quickly from her initial misstep to apply pressure to the leader from second position. The two fillies raced as a team around the far turn, separating themselves from the rest of the field.
As the field straightened for home, Long Neck Paula dug in gamely along the rail, but Indy Bay, driven relentlessly on the outside, refused to yield. The two battled head-to-head down the lane, with Indy Bay gaining the upper hand just before the wire, stopping the clock in a final time of 1:09.70 on a fast track.
“She was sharp,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “She got me closer than what I thought. After that, it was beautiful because I was able to jump on Long Neck Paula a little earlier than I would have and she kept fighting all the way to the wire. [Long Neck Paula] was a tough customer and Indy Bay put her head in front in the last couple jumps.”
Beauty Reigns, the post-time favorite, was bumped at the start and rallied mildly to finish third, three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up. Paula’s a Star, Mila Candy, Italian Soiree, and Nilo’s Rose completed the order of finish.
The victory marked the first stakes win for Indy Bay, a dark bay filly by Take Charge Indy. Owned by C Two Racing Stable, Paul Braverman, and Timothy Pinch, she has now won three straight races since joining Joseph Jr.’s barn. The ownership group is now pointing her towards the Grade 1 Test Stakes later in the Saratoga meet.
Scratched Horse(s): None
Fractional Times: 22.34 44.97 56.89
Final Time: 1:09.70
Winning Connections
Winner: Indy Bay
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Trainer: Saffie Joseph, Jr.
Owner: C Two Racing Stable, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch
Breeder: Frankfort Park Farm
Bloodline: Dark Bay or Brown Filly, by Take Charge Indy out of Discovery Bay, by Speightstown. Foaled Apr 01, 2022 in Kentucky.
Stallion Info: Take Charge Indy stands at WinStar Farm, in Versailles, KY ($7,500 Stands & Nurses)
Payouts
1st – (5) Indy Bay – Win: $6.50, Place: $3.20, Show: $2.30
2nd – (4) Long Neck Paula – Place: $4.50, Show: $2.70
3rd – (2) Beauty Reigns – Show: $2.20
Exotics: $1.00 Exacta (5-4) Paid: $13.30, $0.50 Trifecta (5-4-2) Paid: $13.12, $0.10 Superfecta (5-4-2-7) Paid: $19.50
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