Three-Way Go in the Gotham
THREE-WAY GO IN THE GOTHAM
The cast of characters was slightly different that it was in the GIII Withers S. Feb. 1, but in the end, the results were the same, as My Meadowview Stable’s Samraat (Noble Causeway) and his fellow New York-bred, Wounded Warrior Stable’s Uncle Sigh (Indian Charlie), slugged it out through the final quarter mile, with Samraat earning a hard-fought neck decision and 50 points along the road to the Kentucky Derby in nine weeks’ time. In Trouble (Tiz Wonderful), making his first start around two turns and first since taking the GII Futurity S. Sept. 29, set the pace from the fence and was dour in the stretch, finishing just a half-length behind in third and well clear of Financial Mogul (Street Boss) in fourth. “This is a real horse now,” enthused winning trainer Rick Violette Jr. “We knew he had a shot to be a real horse after the Withers; he proved he is a real horse today.”
GOTHAM S.-GIII, $500,000, AQU, 3-1, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44 2/5, ft.
1–SAMRAAT, 123, c, 3, by Noble Causeway
1st Dam: Little Indian Girl, by Indian Charlie
2nd Dam: Brighter Than Gold, by Light Idea
3rd Dam: Princess Born, by Brent’s Prince
O-My Meadowview Farm; B-My Meadowview LLC
(NY); T-Richard A Violette Jr; J-Jose L Ortiz.
$300,000. Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, $583,200. *1/2
to Original Fate (Grand Slam), SP-Jpn, $793,248.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk
Nick Rating: A+.
2–Uncle Sigh, 118, c, 3, Indian Charlie–Cradlesong, by
Pine Bluff. ($270,000 yrl ’12 FTNAUG; $330,000
RNA 2yo ‘13 FTFMAR). O-Wounded Warrior Stables
& Anthony Robertson; B-Milfer Farm Inc (NY); T-Gary
C Contessa. $100,000.
3–In Trouble, 120, c, 3, Tiz Wonderful–Ballpark
Butterfly, by Grand Slam. ($14,000 RNA wlng ’11
KEENOV; $15,000 yrl ’12 FTKOCT; $120,000 2yo
‘13 OBSAPR). O-Team D; B-Joseph Duffel (KY);
T-Anthony W Dutrow. $50,000.
Margins: NK, NK, 5 1/4. Odds: 2.20, 3.55, 4.60.
Also Ran: Financial Mogul, Harpoon, Master Lightning, Deceived, Extrasexyhippzster, Noble Cornerstone.
Scratched: Classic Giacnroll, Monopolize.
‘Sam’ Old Story…
One of just 34 foals from this current crop of his sire, raced by My Meadowview to a runner-up effort in the 2005 GI Florida Derby, Samraat wired a field of state-bred maidens by 3 1/2 lengths at Belmont Oct. 23 and was a 5 1/2-length winner of a first-level allowance Nov. 22 before coasting to a 16 3/4-length success when trying a route of ground for the first time in the Damon Runyon S. Dec. 18. He was trying opens for the first time in the Withers and was the second favorite by less than $1,000, but stalked the free-running Uncle Sigh from the outside and was able to get just the better of that entertaining battle by a length. Samraat was the co-top weight and was forced give all but one of his rivals three or seven pounds, but was able to get the job done.
The comebacking In Trouble won the break, allowing Uncle Sigh–a touch eager beneath Corey Nakatani–to do the chasing this time around, as Samraat raced three wide and just to that duo’s outside entering the backstretch run. In Trouble raced–mouth open against the bit–through an opening quarter in :23.85 with Uncle Sigh at his saddle towel and Samraat right there from the three path. The pace quickened noticeably after a half in :48.30, and the trio began to put some real estate between them and the rest of the field entering the second turn. The stage was set at the head of the stretch after three-quarters in 1:12.30, as In Trouble still led narrowly from his two more-seasoned rivals, who came to make it a line of three with a furlong from home. Samraat worked his way to the front with 100 yards to race and was able to find the wire just in front from Uncle Sigh, who raced tightly between horses, and a game In Trouble not far back in third.
Violette Jr. admits to a case of Derby fever.
“This was a good field. I’d be lying if I said we weren’t already thinking [about the Kentucky Derby],” he commented. “At this stage, we didn’t want to do anything that would prevent us from going to the Derby. A couple of races before the Derby probably toughens him, but this was another stretch-long, hard duel, but [jockey] Jose [Ortiz] never hit him.” The conditioner said Samraat will train in the interim in Florida. “The Wood [Memorial, GI, $1 million, Apr. 5] is a real possibility,” he explained. “That would be our best option as long as the horse cooperates and tells us that we should get on a plane and come up for it.”
Gary Contessa, trainer of Uncle Sigh, was philosophical in defeat. “Samraat is a nice horse,” he offered. “Now I’m a believer. We closed the gap on him a little bit today, and my horse is still very young. He was intimidated and he got bumped, and he might have been a little bit cautious down in there, but we’re getting better. He’s certainly developing.”
Contessa said a Wood rematch is a strong possibility, a race which is also likely to attract In Trouble.
“Coming off a layoff we were concerned he might need a race, but he ran very game,” said his rider Joe Rocco Jr. “Very game. He really dug in well and we’re looking forward to see what he can do next time.
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