Payton d’ Oro to look for a long awaited victory, as Super Espresso becomes the one to beat in the Ruffian Stakes at Saratoga
The 5-year-old Medaglia d’ Oro mare Payton d’ Oro will be looking to get back on winning ways in the Grade 1 $250,000 Ruffian Stakes at Saratoga on 31 July.
The bay mare started her 2011 campaign after a year long layoff and, her last win came back in 2010 in the Bayakoa Stakes for fillies and mares, run at Oaklawn on 7 April, 2010. On a depleted field of 5 fillies and mares, Payton d’ Oro headed the field under
jockey T J Thompson.
The pair ran over at a distance of 1 mile and half a furlong and, they covered good ground initially in the race but hung up with a furlong out, which gave rivals the opportunity to close in but the bay mare fended off to land the race by half a length.
After a superb performance in the Bayakoa Stakes, Payton d’ Oro made her comeback in May 2011, when she raced in the Grade 3 Allaire Dupont Distaff at Pimlico on 21 May, 2011.
Coupled up with jockey G Saez, the pair ran a hard fought race, fending off challenges left right and centre, gave it their all in the end but fell 3/4th of a length short to the winner Super Espresso in the 1 mile ½ furlong event.
Her second start was the all important Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park on 18 June, 2011. The race attracted five 3-year-olds and above fillies and mares, to contest in 1 mile ½ furlong event.
The Ogden Phipps included Payton d’ Oro’s Dupont Distaff tormentor, Super Espresso, but more importantly the hype was created for the favoured Awesome Maria.
The Todd Pletcher trained Awesome Maria started off slow under jockey J R Velazquez, tracking leaders in the beginning and suddenly challenged for the lead and got 1 ½ furlong out. With just the stretch ahead, the pair quickened and won the race, Payton
d’ Oro finished second 3 lengths behind Awesome Maria.
The champion roan filly Awesome Maria, incurred condylar fracture earlier this month and will not be able to continue racing at least for the rest of the year, but had she been racing fine, Awesome Maria would’ve been a huge favourite to win the Grade 1
Ruffian Stakes.
The Ruffian will reel in seven 3 and up fillies and mares, which will also include D Wayne Lukas trained Absinthe Minded, though Super Espresso and Payton d’ Oro are the only graded stakes winner in the Ruffian lineup, but Absinthe Minded has all the potential
to turn the tables.
With 2 wins out of 11 starts, the 4-year-old bay filly has been up against the likes of Awesome Maria, Blind Luck and Havre de Grace, a touch batch of fillies and it is tough to win against them.
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