SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For four years, the standard bearer for Final Furlong Racing Stable was millionaire Venti Valentine. The New York-bred, trained by Jorge Abreu, retired last fall with seven career stakes wins and graded stakes placings.
But as Venti Valentine was approaching the end of her career, there was one coming up in the outfit behind her. Kay Cup, owned by Final Furlong in partnership with Electric City Racing and Sportsmen Stable, made one start for Abreu last year at Saratoga, finishing third in a maiden race after hitting the gate.
"I told them that this filly was going to take over Venti Valentine's spot," Abreu said. "This filly trained that way. She has a lot of talent. From day one, we always liked this filly."
Kay Cup has a long way to go, but she notched her first stakes win on Wednesday to begin filling the void in the barn. The winner of her 3-year-old debut in an April maiden race at Aqueduct by 4 1/2 lengths, Kay Cup surged through the stretch to win the $200,000 Bouwerie Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga.
Irad Ortiz Jr. has been aboard Kay Cup in all three of her starts. He gave her what Abreu called a "perfect" ride in the Bouwerie to complete a sweep of Wednesday's stakes for statebred 3-year-olds, with Ortiz also taking the Mike Lee earlier in the day aboard Train the Trainer.
The pacesetter in the Bouwerie was Bernieandtherose. Favored off four straight wins, including two stakes at Aqueduct, she bounced out of the gate to an uncontested lead through the opening quarter in a sharp 22.55 seconds. Kay Cup ($4.80) was bumped at the break by Valtellina, but she quickly recovered to sit a comfortable third with longshot Howling Wind. Kay Cup then began to move under her own power on the far turn, ranking up into second while racing wide, a half-length off Bernieandtherose.
Once straightened away into the lane, Kay Cup had to work to get by Bernieandtherose, edging clear in upper stretch. Once she got her measure, she cruised clear in the final sixteenth to her final margin.
Charlotte's Heart came on to be second, edging Bernieandtherose by half a length. They were followed, in order, by Valtellina, Accelerating, and Howling Wind. Crimson Queen was eased while last in the stretch, but walked off under her own power.
The time for the seven furlongs on the fast track was 1:23.79.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.