Sunday, May 22, 2011

Super Espresso Perks Up In Allaire duPont Distaff

BALTIMORE –05-21-11 – Bobby Flay’s Super Espresso, who had a distinct dislike for turf in her previous start, demonstrated a fondness for Pimlico’s main track Saturday with a rallying score in the $100,000 Allaire duPont Distaff Stakes (G3).

Next to last down the backstretch under jockey Ramon Dominguez, Super Espresso swept wide around horses entering the stretch before out-battling Payton d’Oro nearing the wire to win by three-quarters of a length.


The Medaglia d’Oro filly, who is trained by Todd Pletcher, completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.85 and paid $24.20. Post time favorite Life At Ten, also trained by Pletcher, finished third. Super Espresso’s best effort prior to the DuPont was a victory in the Sky Beauty Stakes at Aqueduct in March.


Allaire DuPont Quotes

Todd Pletcher (winning trainer, Super Espresso) – “I was very, very pleased and a little disappointed the way the other one (Life At Ten) ran. If you take out her last race on turf, she’s been a steadily improving filly. She trained well leading up to this, so we’re not shocked that she ran well.”

Ramon Dominguez (winning, jockey, Super Espresso) – “She ran just the way Todd expected. She’s got a beautiful long stride on her and I just kept her together. They went quick enough early on where it was helpful, but she just continued coming. I don’t feel like they were really collapsing in front of her. She was closing.

The filly that ran second got a great trip and I was a little bit concerned before I actually came to her because she really got the best trip.”

Larry Jones (trainer, Payton d’Oro, 2nd) – “She ran well. She’s been off a long time, but she likes Pimlico. She ran well.”

Gabriel Saez (jockey, Payton d’Oro, 2nd) – “I was in the place that I wanted to be the whole way. When we came down the lane, the seven (Super Espresso) beat us. I think she was one of the better fillies in the race and I got beat.”

Todd Pletcher (trainer, Life At Ten, 3rd) – “I didn’t see much excuse. I’m just hoping she needs a race or two to round back into form. It was obviously a little disappointing.”

John Velazquez (jockey, Life At Ten, 3rd) – “I had a perfect trip and she didn’t come up with anything. She was laying third, perfect, at the three-eighths pole. At the quarter pole I asked her, and she just came up even. She didn’t stop but she didn’t pick it up either.”

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