News Anchor Down Runs Huge in G3 Westchester at Belmont Park May 7, 2016 News Anchor Down Runs Huge in G3 Westchester at Belmont Park May 7, 2016 By: Jared Welch twitterfacebooklinkedinemail Share: share on facebook share on twitter share on linkedin email this article ELMONT, N.Y. – Alto Racing’s Anchor Down splashed his way to a convincing 6 ¾-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Westchester at Belmont Park, picking up his first graded stakes win and stamping himself a contender for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap on June 11. Most recently seen finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in April, Anchor Down was sent straight to the lead by jockey Jose Ortiz, where he ticked off fractions of 23.28, 46.88 and 1:10.84 with Stormin Monarcho and Samraat in pursuit. Shaking clear of those rivals once straightened for home, the 5-year-old gray son of Tapit rolled unchallenged to the finish line, covering the mile in 1:35.10 over the muddy, sealed track. “The horse broke great and when I asked him to go at the quarter pole, he just exploded and gave me everything he had; I didn’t have to use my whip,” said Ortiz. “I didn’t push him too much and he gave me a great run.” The victory was the first of the year for Anchor Down, who began 2016 with a pair of third-place finishes at Gulfstream Park, including the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap, in which he was disqualified and placed fourth. Overall, he is 4-1-2 from 13 career starts and now has earned $276,920. “This race has been on our radar for a while,” said Byron Hughes, assistant to winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “I wasn’t surprised he won so convincingly; he’s put in some big efforts before against some nice horses. He’d breezed well for this race, and he’d been training well since his last race. The Metropolitan Handicap [Grade 1, $1.25 million, June 11] is possible; we’ll see how he comes out of this.” Sent off at 9-5, Anchor Down returned $5.70 for a $2 win bet. Multiple graded stakes winner Samraat, making his third start since June 2014, was second, 3 ¼ lengths in front of Mylute. “He ran terrific,” said Rick Violette, who trains Samraat for My Meadowview Farm. “It was nice to see him handle a little bit better quality of horse than he ran against last time. Moving forward we are going to have a lot of fun. “We’ll think about [the Met Mile],” added Violette. “Really, his ‘A’ game is running a little bit further than a mile. This was a perfect spot timing wise. I’ll talk with the owner and see what his thoughts are but the Met Mile isn’t out of the question.” Red Vine, the 4-5 favorite, was fourth, followed by Stormin Monarcho and Matterhorn. NYRA
NBA & NHL Playoff Previews & Picks | Dudes Who Bet Sports 188 Aaron and Papa Dude discuss OJ Simpson, UConn’s national championship… Read More
2024 Kentucky Derby Top 10 & Rapid-Fire Picks | Blinkers Off 661 The Racing Dudes reveal their Top 10 Kentucky Derby prospects… Read More
Keeneland Pick 5 [Lexington Stakes Day] | The Magic Mike Show 541 The Magic Mike Show guys preview & give their tickets… Read More
Kentucky Derby Prep Results [Blue Grass, Santa Anita Derby, & Wood Memorial] | The Magic Mike Show 540 The Magic Mike Show guys discuss last week’s Kentucky Derby… Read More
Kentucky Derby Prep Picks: Blue Grass, Wood Memorial, & Santa Anita Derby | Blinkers Off 660 The Racing Dudes preview the final three major 2024 Kentucky… Read More
Triple Crown 2024 Racing Dudes Fantasy League Update: Attention Turns To Kentucky Derby Each week, get the standings, power rankings, and recent transactions for… Read More
Finding Singles | Racing Dudes Rockets Hits & Heartbreaks 52 Aaron reviews the recent Racing Dudes Rockets to explain how… Read More
Kentucky Derby 2024 Latest News & Top Contenders | Encino Enters Top 10 After Lexington Win Aaron discusses the latest 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) news after… Read More
Grand Mo The First Breezes At Gulfstream Park | Kentucky Derby News Granpollo Stable’s Grand Mo the First, who finished a distant… Read More
Federico Tesio Stakes 2024 | Laurel Park Picks [Preakness Stakes] Having rediscovered his stakes-winning form in dramatic fashion last month… Read More