Monday, August 11, 2008

LATITUDE FORTY HOLDS ON FOR YADDO SCORE

Dee Zee Stable’s Latitude Forty took a liking to Saratoga Race Course’s yielding inner turf course Sunday afternoon, collaring front-running Factual Contender and holding off You Go West Girl for a neck victory in the 29th running of the $107,500 Yaddo Handicap for New York-bred fillies and mares at nine furlongs.

Rain continued to vent its wrath on the Spa’s turf schedule – races 5 and 11 were taken off the turf on Sunday and run on the main track – but the Yaddo survived. Originally carded for Saturday, it was moved to Sunday to share top billing with its male counterpart, the West Point Handicap.


With the portable rail out nine feet, Factual Contender, under jockey Eibar Coa, sent an uncontested pace of 25.27, 50.12, 1:14.89 and 1:41.69 before tiring in the lane. Javier Castellano, aboard Latitude Forty, had sensed the front-runner wouldn’t stay. He kept his mount a ground-saving second, and then got Latitude Forty rolling midway on the far turn.

“I knew the track was soft (yielding) today, but I didn’t want to move too soon,” Castellano said. “I saw Coa, and his horse was rank warming up. He was up front, but I knew that sooner or later, they would come back. I wasn’t worried about his horse, I was worried about the other two coming from behind.”

The other two were favored Rewrite and You Go West Girl.

Latitude Forty struck the lead in the lane, but her main rivals were coming fast, particularly You Go West Girl and jockey Julein Leparoux. Latitude Forty, however, had enough to hold on for the win in 1:55.16. She returned $10.

“She likes Saratoga,” said winning trainer John Hertler. “She has been coming around and she’s been in good shape. I was concerned about the soft turf because she ran on it once and didn’t like it. I was worried when Factual Contender opened up 10 lengths going down the backstretch; I thought she was going to steal it.

“My filly got up there and hung a little bit. But she did hold off the 1-horse (You Go West Girl). I was hoping the finish line would come quick enough. Right now, I want to enjoy this win before I talk to the owners about where to go with her from here.”

Rewrite was third, followed by Factual Contender and Junkanoo Party.

Chestoria was scratched.

YADDO QUOTES

Winning trainer John Hertler of Latitude Forty (No. 2): “She likes Saratoga. She has been coming around and she’s been in good shape. I was concerned about the soft turf because she ran on it once and didn’t like it. I was worried when Factual Contender opened up 10 lengths going down the backstretch. I thought she was going to steal it.

“My filly got up there and hung a little bit. But she did hold off the 1-horse (You Go West Girl). I was hoping the finish line would come quick enough. Right now, I want to enjoy this win before I talk to the owners about where to go with her from here.”



Winning jockey Javier Castellano: “I knew the track was soft (yielding) today, but I didn’t want to move too soon. I saw (jockey) Eibar Coa and his horse (Factual Contender) was rank warming up. He was up front, but I knew that sooner or later, they would come back. I wasn’t worried about his horse, I was worried about the other two (favored Rewrite and You Go West Girl) coming from behind.”

Comments (1)