Pressed all the way on a fast pace, favored Glorious View refused to give way in the stretch in her stakes debut, capturing the $200,000 Vagrancy Handicap (gr. II) May 18 at Belmont Park (VIDEO).
Trained by Bill Mott for owner/breeder Brant Laue, Glorious View posted her fourth consecutive win with Junior Alvarado once again in the irons. The 4-year-old Pleasant Tap filly edged away from Fantasy of Flight in the final strides for a half-length win while running 6 1/2 furlongs in a solid 1:15.96.
Breaking from the rail, Glorious View sprinted to the lead over Spectacular Sky by one length with Irish Exchange and Fantasy of Flight stalking the first two. Fraction for the opening half-mile were :22.14 and :45.04.
"She settled for me during the first part of the race," Alvarado said. "I was never worried because she was never bothered by the horse outside her down the backstretch. She was very relaxed.
Glorious View shifted out a bit coming off the the turn and hooked up with Fantasy of Flight and Cornelio Velasquez on her outside for the drive. They were on even terms in the final furlong before the stubborn Glorious View inched away approaching the wire.
"I knew there was going to be a lot of speed in the race," Alvarado said. "My filly has speed but she can stalk, too. Billy left it up to me. She broke really sharp and pretty much took me around the whole way. When I asked her to run, she kept digging in."
Fantasy of Flight finished two lengths clear of Withgreatpleasure, who closed from last under Rajiv Maragh for third. Miss d'Oro, Spectacular Sky, and Irish Exchange completed the order.
Glorious View, who is out of the stakes-winning Langfuhr mare Cayuga's Waters, graduated in her ninth try Feb. 15 at at Aqueduct Racetrack and hasn't lost since. Her prior three victories, including a six-length allowance/optional claiming victory April 11 at Aqueduct, came by a combined margin of 17 1/4 lengths.
"She showed a lot of gameness today," said Mott, her Hall of Fame trainer. "She had won her last few races fairly easily, and that's a pretty nice filly who ran up to her in the stretch."
Glorious View now owns a 4-4-1 mark in 12 races with earnings of $303,190.
The winner carried 114 pounds as the 17-10 choice and paid $5.40, $3.80, $2.90. Fantasy of Flight, the 118-pound highweight, returned $4.30 and $3.30 while completing a $25.80 exacta. Withgreatpleasure paid $3.10.
Glorious View repels all challenges to capture the Vagrancy Handicap.
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