Hit It Rich wins her first graded stakes at Aqueduct on 12th November
The four-year-old filly of Smart Strike, Hit It Rich has a record of racing five times the previous season and again five times this season, but it was only her last race that turned out to be the most significant. Hit It Rich won the Long Island Handicap
Group 3 at Aqueduct on 12th November.
Claude R. McGaughey III trainee was guided through the track that day by jockey J Castellano that offered a distance of 1 ½ mile. With a career of nine prior races, it was on Saturday, 12th November that she was able to win her very first graded
stakes amassing the prize money of $150,000.
The Grade 3 handicap attracted eight contestants with G Sacco’s Unbridled Essence setting the pace for the rest of the lot while being ridden by J Lezcano. Enjoying the lead over seven other mares and fillies, Unbridled Essence broke the fractions to 24.38
seconds at the opening stretch, 49.39 seconds at the mid stretch and then a 1 minute and 15.32 seconds for six furlongs.
Hit It Rich initially stayed in pursuit of the pace setter, but unleashed for the lead on the turn, she was soon the most daunting challenge for the rest on the field as she slid through the wire in 2 minutes 30.39 seconds over a distance of 1 ½ miles. The
55th episode of this Grade 3 handicap found Mekong Melody second and Musical Rain third in line after the winner of the handicap.
"It looked like there wasn't much speed at all, but [Unbridled Essence] rushed and wanted to dictate the pace, "I let her dictate the pace, and I just kept tracking behind the speed. The pace was very slow and my filly loved to gallop right next to the lead.
It was wonderful - when I asked her, she focused and took off”.
This turned out to be Hit It Rich’s third victory out of the five races that she ran this season. The connections have planned for her to rest till next summer which according to them will find her prepared for participation in more influential races. Hit
It Rich has come a long way and has a longer one ahead that will ensure her career boost very soon.
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