Introduced takes off-the-turf edition of the $85K Smart N Fancy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – While rain showers forced Thursday’s $85,000 Smart N Fancy off the turf, it didn’t dampen the spirits of Colts Neck Stables’ Introduced, who backed up her favoritism in making a successful return to the main track with a 3 1/4-length victory in the 5 1/2-furlong test for older fillies and mares.

Jockey Manny Franco hustled the now six-time winner out of the gate, and she took command racing in tandem to the inside of pacesetter Peaceful through an opening 1/4-mile in 22.41 seconds over a sloppy and sealed main track. Around the far turn, Peaceful was in front by a neck, but Introduced battled back gamely to the inside while under an all-out drive.

Introduced, at a narrow advantage at the 1/4 pole, fended off Peaceful’s drive, developing a clear lead once the field hit the furlong marker and came under the wire a winner in a time of 1:03.06.

Peaceful finished another 1 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Saratoga Treasure. Victory Kingdom, who broke a step slow, and Miss Gossip completed the order of finish. Rose Flower, Getmotherarose, and A Great Time were scratched.

Introduced, trained by Jorge Duarte, Jr., made her first start on dirt since taking the Miss Disco last August at Laurel Park. She arrived at the Smart N Fancy off a fourth-place finish to Cariba in the August 1 Caress over the Spa’s Mellon turf. In her career debut in August 2018 at the Spa, she finished second to subsequent Grade 1 winner Concrete Rose, which she followed up with a maiden victory over a sloppy main track at Laurel.

“When I ran her at Laurel and she broke her maiden, the track was really wet; it was actually off the turf. She handled it fine. She trains good over the slop at the farm. A chance of surface is a concern, but we were confident. She’s sharp,” Duarte, Jr. said. “She handled (a wet track) in training and we were confident she’d handle it today. She’s a really nice filly. She showed on the track that she’s very consistent. She runs good numbers on both. It’s nice to have that option; you don’t have that too many times. Hopefully, she carries on this year and we’ll see what comes.”

The trip did not all go as planned according to Franco, but the filly’s class carried her the whole way around.

“He (Duarte, Jr.) told me to let (Peaceful) go, but they didn’t break with the intention to clear me, so I held my position inside and the filly did the rest,” Franco said. “She was comfortable inside. That position never bothered her at any point of the race.”

Returning $3.30 as the 3-5 post time favorite, Introduced brought her career earnings up to $271,551 while improving her record to 13-6-3-1.