Officer Hutchy swats away competition with late surge in NYSSS Park Avenue

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Sanford Goldfarb’s Officer Hutchy notched her second win of the meet at Saratoga Race Course, linking up with Spin a Yarn in the last furlong before pulling away in the final 1/16 for a 1/2-length score in Thursday’s $100,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Park Avenue for 3-year-old fillies.

Making her first start for trainer Rob Atras, Officer Hutchy went off as the 8/5 favorite and tracked Big Q, who led the seven-horse field through the opening 1/4-mile in 21.90 seconds and the 1/2 in 44.49 over a main track rated fast.

Out of the turn, Big Q was kept near the rail straightening for home before being overtaken by 9/5 selection Spin a Yarn from the outside. Under jockey Dylan Davis, Officer Hutchy showed she had plenty left in the tank, pressing on from the four path and running eye-to-eye with Spin a Yarn before gaining separation and hitting the wire in 1:15.37 for the 6 1/2-furlong sprint.

“I was expecting her to run well, but that performance really wowed me,” said Atras, who won his first stakes race at Saratoga. “The credit goes to Sandford Goldfarb, who picked her out. It was his idea to claim the filly.”

Officer Hutchy, whose previous stakes appearance was a second in the NYSSS Fifth Avenue in November at Aqueduct Racetrack, won for the fourth time in 8 starts overall. She was claimed for $25,000 out of a win at the Spa on August 16.

“She ran great. She broke running and Dylan put her in the perfect spot,” Atras said. “He sat just off the pace and that other filly was tough to run down. She’s a nice filly so I was happy with my horse today.”

Bred by Green Polka Farms, Officer Hutchy returned $5.50 on a $2 win bet. She improved her career earnings to $244,430.

“We always like to look for New York-breds. They seem to always have more options and obviously better spots to run in and they run for great money,” Atras said. “I tend to lean towards looking for New York-breds.”

Spin a Yarn, who was 4-for-4 with all victories at Finger Lakes entering her stakes bow, ran second in her bid to give trainer Chris Progno his first career Saratoga stakes victory, finishing 1 1/4 lengths clear of The Important One.

Big Q, Nicky Scissors, Holmdel Park and Mani Pedi completed the order of finish.