SARATOGA SPRINGS—Becky’s Joker, the lone maiden and first-time starter in the $175,000, Grade III Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Saratoga’s opening day, had no time for jokes. Despite starting seventh out of seven, this bay filly showed her potential by surging to fourth place after a quarter-mile, trailing behind the early leader Carmelia. With 3/16 of a mile left, Becky’s Joker took the lead, although she started drifting towards the center of the track in the home stretch. However, under the guidance of Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, she straightened out and crossed the finish line 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Saratoga Secret, securing her maiden victory.
Saratoga Secret, who won her previous start at Ellis Park, came in second, while Closing Act, the winner of Belmont’s Astoria Stakes and the only two-time winner in the Schuylerville, settled for third. The race, which took place on a fast main track, was completed in 1 minute and 12.52 seconds.
Becky’s Joker’s unexpected triumph at odds of 21-1 meant there were some surprising numbers on the tote board. Wine on Tap, the Belmont maiden winner and the Schuylerville favorite, finished fourth. Becky’s Joker paid $44.40 for the win, $12.80 to place, and $7.10 to show. Saratoga Secret, a 7-2 shot, brought in $4.90 to place and $3.50 to show. Closing Act’s show price was $4.60.
Despite being a green racehorse, trainer Gary Contessa had faith in Becky’s Joker from the start. Contessa wasn’t surprised by her slow break, considering her size (16.3 hands), but he was pleased with her position behind the leaders. He brushed off concerns about her drifting out in the stretch, attributing it to her inexperience as a young horse. Jockey Javier Castellano echoed Contessa’s sentiments, praising Becky’s Joker’s performance and acknowledging that her drifting was a typical occurrence in a first-time start.
Looking ahead, Contessa expressed confidence in Becky’s Joker’s potential, suggesting the $300,000, Grade I Spinaway race as a future target. Contessa drew inspiration from a previous filly, Sippican Harbor, who overcame similar doubts due to her size and went on to win the 2018 Spinaway. With Becky’s Joker’s impressive debut record of one start, one win, and earnings of $96,250, handicappers won’t need to dig deep into her racing history for the upcoming Spinaway.
In conclusion, Becky’s Joker defied expectations and made a strong statement as the only maiden and first-time starter in the Schuylerville Stakes. With her maiden victory, she has already set her sights on bigger challenges in the future, showing that size and inexperience are no barriers to success in the world of horse racing.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
