OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Alogon entered Saturday’s $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes at Aqueduct winless in four starts this year, a record that belied how well he’s run in those races.
Alogon left Saturday’s Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint with his first victory of the year, leaving his trainer, Ned Allard, relieved.
“He ran super races, and we got beat a sliver the last time, one jump after the wire we were in front,” Allard said, referring to a neck defeat to Doncho in the $151,000 Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs three weeks ago. "This was a sweet victory.”
The last time Alogon won, he had to share the victory with Works for Me, the two dead-heating for the win in the Turf Sprint Championship at Aqueduct last Nov. 9. This time, Alogon didn’t have to share.
Under Dylan Davis, Alogon, a bit headstrong and sweaty, sat third behind Dancing Buck and Senbei, who were heads apart through a half-mile in 44.20 seconds.
Davis made a three-wide move on Alogon around the turn, kept the horse several paths wide in the stretch and the horse made the lead a sixteenth of a mile out and held off a late-running Bold Journey to win by a neck. It was a length back to favored Twenty Six Black in third.
Davis said Allard gave him the choice of how to ride Alogon. Davis said when he saw Dancing Buck and Senbei go for the lead, he was content to make Alogon sit third.
“I opted to sit third in a comfortable spot, Alagon wanting to challenge them early, I thought it would have made a little too much for me late,” Davis said. “I took a little bit of a hold of him, let him settle down til the top of the lane, then asked him there and he did great and he fought off some challengers there.”
Alogon, a 6-year-old gelding by California Chrome, covered the six furlongs in 1:07.63 (96 Beyer Speed Figure) over firm turf and returned $11.36 to win.
“He rode him absolutely perfectly,” said Allard, who noted the horse would likely come back for the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint here on Nov. 1 before being put away for the year.
Bold Journey finished second for the fourth time from eight starts this year.
“He did what I asked him, fell a little back, pace was a little quick, so we came from the off the pace,” jockey Junior Alvarado said. “When I asked him, he was there for me, just fell a couple steps short today. He tried very hard for me. He is an old pro."
Following Twenty Six Black in the order of finish were Senbei, Dancing Buck, Run Curtis Run and Live High Live Low.
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