Humoristic, the longest shot on the board in the $150,000 Violet Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Meadowlands turf the night of Sept. 28, closed best of all to upset odds-on favorite Roshani and Pommes Frites in an eventful run.
Closing sharply on the outside for jockey Rajiv Maragh, Humoristic benefited greatly when the pacesetter Pommes Frites, the second-place finisher, veered out badly in the final strides, impeding the 3-5 favorite Roshani, who was rallying between horses. Stewards, who disqualified Pommes Frites to third, moved Roshani up to second.
Five contested the 1 1/16-mile test for fillies and mares.
Humoristic, a 6-year-old Sefapiano mare, won for the first time since 2005 for trainer Hamilton Smith at odds of nearly 15-1. She had lost 13 consecutive races, her last victory coming in the 2005 Violet. Humoristic was coming off a third-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Matchmaker (gr. IIIT) on the Monmouth Park turf, just 1 1/2 lengths behind Roshani.
"The last time I rode her (in the Matchmaker), I learned that she was a fighter," said Maragh. "She fights all the way to the wire. She's got speed, but she doesn't want a lot of work to do. All the time, when (Pommes Frites) runs, she comes a little late in the end. She always comes back. I had a lot of horse and I was just waiting to make the right timed move. I didn't want to move too early."
The winning margin was one length. The final clocking was 1:41 1/5.
The winner stalked Pommes Frites in second through fractions of :23 2/5, :47 3/5 and 1:11. On the final turn, Roshani, ridden by Garrett Gomez, made her bid for the lead and swept past Humoristic to challenge Pommes Frites in upper stretch. The front-runner proved tough, however, and re-established her lead as Humoristic found her best stride on the far outside. Pommes Frites, ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, tired in the final furlong as the two challengers came on, and came out in the path of Roshani.
Humoristic earned $90,000 for owner/breeder Mrs. Arturo Peralta-Ramos with her eighth win in 37 lifetime starts. She has banked $526,862. Humoristic is out of the Polish Numbers mare Latania.
The Violet is likely to be the final career start for Humoristic. Smith plans to send her into the broodmare ranks in 2008.
She paid $31.80, $4.60 and $2.10. Roshani, seeking her fifth win of 2007, returned $2.40 and $2.10. Pommes Frites, who was 7-2 when the race started and 3-2 after it was over, was $2.10 to show.
La Dolce Vita finished a neck back in fourth and Hopes and Dreams trailed by a head. Star of Sahm scratched.
(Chart, Equibase)
Humorisitic wins Violet Stakes.
