Iteration, runner-up in the Hambletonian Oaks last time out, continued her sensational sophomore season on Tuesday afternoon (August 17) at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the trotting filly kicked off a big day for her connections.
In her $74,000 division of the New York Sire Stakes, Iteration (Chapter Seven-Steamy Windows-Muscle Massive) wasted little time moving out to the lead with Brian Sears at the controls and the super soph had no difficulty cruising to her fourth victory of the season.
Over a track labeled ‘sloppy,’ Iteration never faced a legit challenge before stopping the timer in 1:57.4 to move her seasonal earnings to just shy of $320,000 and her lifetime bankroll to close to $635,000. Sweeping Rainbow (Scott Zeron) finished second to the 2-5 betting favourite and completed a $5.90 exacta while Titans Hope (Jason Bartlett) earned the show spot and rounded out an $11.40 triple in the five-horse field.
Iteration’s connections of owner Courant Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida, trainer Marcus Melander and driver Brian Sears scored a natural hat trick on the Tuesday card when their big Sire Stakes victory was followed up by wins with Insured Am S, who came from well off the pace to score in a $15,000 NYSS Excelsior A event for three-year-olds, and Izzy Demsky.
The other $72,700 division of the NY Sire Stakes for sophomore fillies went the way of Moni For Lindy (Credit Winner-Live Moni-Conway Hall), who prevailed with Yannick Gingras at the controls.
Moni For Lindy left alertly to overcome her “outside” post as she drew the four post in a four-horse race. The sophomore filly made it to the top before being confronted and bypassed by Contested Hanover (Scott Zeron) approaching the quarter. Gingras was content to sit the pocket, which turned out to be the right move as Moni For Lindy trotted by that rival in the stretch to win in 1:56.4. Contested Hanover finished second while Splash Blue Chip (Ake Svanstedt) ended up third.
Moni For Lindy, who is owned by Greathorse of Hampden, Massachusetts, paid $8.40 to win as she recorded her fifth victory in eight seasonal tries for trainer Domenico Cecere.
Live racing resumes on Saturday night at Saratoga with a 6:45 p.m. first post.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)