Paid Up Subscriber Blows Away G3 Shuvee

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Already a small field of three, the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee Handicap became a one-horse show when Paid Up Subscriber dispatched her rivals on the far turn en route to an eye-popping 32 1/2-length score.

After tracking the early pace set by Terra Promessa through fractions of :23.07 and :46.81, jockey John Velazquez moved Paid Up Subscriber around the outside of Terra Promessa and Apologynotaccepted as the trio formed a side-by-side wall heading into the far turn. Velazquez quickened the pace, and soon, Paid Up Subscriber had a lead that refused to stop growing.

“It was great,” said Velazquez. “It was a three-horse field, so sometimes you have to do things different, and that’s how it happened today. I knew the other two horses had some speed. I wanted to keep it close enough to where they didn’t get away from me and not put too much pressure on them.

“On the backstretch, I changed my mind and put the pressure on and see how they did. When I got to the (1/2-mile) pole, it looked like it was turning my way, and from then on, it was pretty easy for her. The other horses took back at the 3/4 pole, so when I got to the front, I decided to put the pressure on. When they took back, I changed my mind and put the pressure on, and she handled it very well.”

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Setting splits of 1:11.56 and 1:37.78, the Chad Brown-trained mare essentially walked across the finish line in 1:51.31. It was a far cry from the track record of 1:46.64, but considering she was never put to any type of test, one could hardly fault her final time. Nearly a country mile behind, Terra Promessa crossed 4 lengths ahead of Apologynotaccepted.

The 5-year-old daughter of Candy Ride improved her career earnings to $862,850 with the winner’s share of $120,000. Owned by Peter Brant and Allen Stable, Inc., her record now stands at 15-5-3-2.

“I’m very proud of her,” Brant said. “She was running against a pretty filly last time and was right there. I was very pleased. I couldn’t be happier. The other two fillies were good, too, but we just battled it out.”

Paid Up Subscriber returned $3.30 to win. There was no place or show betting.