Upset at the Whitney Stakes: Arthur’s Ride Dominates Favorite National Treasure
In a thrilling upset at the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes held at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, Arthur’s Ride seized the early lead and never looked back, defeating the overwhelming favorite National Treasure by 2 1/4 lengths.
The 4-year-old gray son of Tapit, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, was making his first foray into graded-stakes company after an impressive allowance win at the Saratoga track in his last outing. Jockey Junior Alvarado expertly guided Arthur’s Ride through the sealed and muddy track, completing the 1 1/8-mile race in a time of 1:48.54 and paying $15.80 for a $2 win wager.
“He broke very sharp, put him on the lead and he took it from there,” Alvarado said. “He was traveling very beautifully the whole way. When I hit the quarter pole, his ears were still pricked in the air and I was like, ‘Oh boy, I think I have plenty of horse left.'”
Indeed, Arthur’s Ride had plenty in reserve, as he easily dispatched the late-running Crupi, who finished second, while Post Time came in third.
The upset victory was a significant one for the colt, who had shown promise at Saratoga as a 2-year-old but was sidelined for the remainder of his 3-year-old season due to “soft-tissue issues,” as described by Mott. The trainer, renowned for his ability to bring out the best in older horses, always believed in Arthur’s Ride’s potential.
“We felt if we could get him back as a 3-, 4-year-old, he was just going to get better,” Mott said. “He was a big, tall, rangy horse that had every license to get better and we were right about that.”
The Whitney Stakes victory has now secured Arthur’s Ride an automatic, fees-paid berth in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 2 at Del Mar. Mott indicated that the colt may run once more, in the September 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga, before heading to the Breeders’ Cup.
“It’s exciting. It’s exciting to even think about having a horse you can run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” said Mott.
The upset win over the heavily favored National Treasure, who had dominated the June 8 Met Mile (G1) at Saratoga, has certainly shaken up the standings in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s weekly poll. Voters will now have to rethink their rankings, as Arthur’s Ride has emerged as a major player among the Classic contenders.
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