The step up in class was no problem for Mercedes Stables’ homebred Spacy Tracy, as she took down grade I winner Funny Moon and defending titleholder Sara Louise in the $150,000 Top Flight Handicap (gr. II) (VIDEO) Nov. 26 at Aqueduct.
A winner of four of her last five starts entering the one-mile Top Flight, Spacy Tracy was making her graded stakes debut for trainer Tony Dutrow. With Jeremy Rose aboard, the 5-year-old filly raced along the inside and from off the pace, was angled outside for running room in upper stretch, and passed a trio of horses including pacesetter Qualia inside the 16th pole before winning by three-quarters of a length going away.
The final time on the fast main track was 1:35.28. Our Khrysty, who entered off a victory in the Turnback the Alarm Handicap (gr. III), was runner-up under Ramon Dominguez, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Qualia. Checking in fourth was Funny Moon, the 2009 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) winner, followed by 8-5 favorite Sara Louise, a winner by a half-length in last year's Top Flight.
Qualia set the pace under Javier Castellano, taking the field of six fillies and mares through splits of :23.73, :46.68, and 1:10.82.
"The trip was pretty much perfect, other than that I had to wait a lot longer than I wanted to," Rose said. "She really rated well and responded perfectly. She’s coming into her own and every race she’s been getting better and faster. Tony, the exercise riders, everyone is doing a great job with her.”
Spacy Tracy, a Kentucky-bred by Awesome Again out of the Theatrical mare Tracy, won for the fifth time in seven starts in 2010. After going through her allowance conditions earlier in the season, the bay mare won the Nov. 6 Justakiss Stakes at Delaware Park in her stakes debut. She is now a perfect 3-for-3 on dirt.
This win upped her career earnings to $240,690.
"We just wanted to see how she’d do on the dirt, it was as simple as that," said Dutrow of the recent change of strategy. "She has been good on every surface. She was good on artificial surfaces and on the turf, but she has been excelling since we moved her to the dirt. I felt very good about her handling one turn. I was more concerned about the competition, but she was in great form, so I was very hopeful. She’ll get a little bit of rest now.”
Sent off as the fifth choice, Spacy Tracy paid $15.20, $7, and $4. The exacta (3-4) returned $60.50 and the trifecta (3-4-5) was $242.50.