Elite Power, namesake of the G3 Elite Power, Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire Photo
Christian Abdo
by Donna Wright Just beat the odds is set to make his graded stakes debut in the Grade 3, $250,000 Elite Power, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and older, on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Previously offered as the Runhappy at the Belmont during the Big A Spring Meet, the Elite Power is named after the 2022-2023 champion male sprinter Elite powerwho won nine of his last ten starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, including back-to-back editions of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint from 2022-23.
Just Beat the Odds, a 5-year-old Munnings gelding trained by Gregg Sacco, has been on the board in 11 of 12 career starts and has finished first or second in seven consecutive races. After a layoff of more than seven months, Just Beat the Odds comes in a neck second to Surveillance over the course and distance from Saturday to April 12.
“Some horses need a race, but he is a type that has developed quickly this time,” said Sacco. “The layoff shouldn’t bother him. He’s a very solid guy, with a lot of talent. It’s not an easy task to come back from a layoff with an effort, but he has worked very well every week and has given us every indication that he is ready to run.”
Just beat the odds [post 4, Manny Franco]prior to his latest attempt, he wired a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer six lengths over the double Grade 3-placed Twenty Four Mamba here in March. The performance produced a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure and came on the back of a layoff from last April, when he dominated a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer at Tampa Bay Downs.
Just Beat the Odds completed his preparations when he flew a half-mile in 48.40 seconds around Belmont Park’s dirt training track on Saturday.
“He is a horse with a lot of talent and he has worked very well,” Sacco said. “He worked great, in fact he linked a horse – not by choice – but it was okay, he pulled out. He cooled off great, so we will put him in the Elite Power. It’s this or a conditional amount, they all come on strong. You also have to run a top mark to win, but he likes Aqueduct and is on target for Saturday.”
Just Beat the Odds, bred in Kentucky by Red Oak Stable, is out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Bella d’Oro, a half-sister to two-time Grade 3 winner Belleski.
The current meeting with leading trainer Linda Rice, who won last year’s Runhappy with Joey Freshwater, will field a pair of New York-bred horses in the dual Class 3 The Big O [post 1, Flavien Prat] and multiple state-bred stakes winner Acoustic Ave [post 3, Jose Lezcano].
Barry Schwartz’s homebred El Grande O is returning to class company for the first time since a third place in the one-turn mile Grade 3 Gotham last March. The four-year-old son of Take Charge Indy, a double state stakes winner, captured a six-furlong optional claimer by a head from Acoustic Ave here on October 9.
The performance, which earned a career-best 99 Beyer, was El Grande O’s first victory in its fourth start since a local optional claim score last December. The dark bay finished third here in his season debut in February and returned more than six months later when he was declared a non-starter in an optional claimer in August at Saratoga.
“His first start at Saratoga was somewhat of a debacle. He didn’t get going and was declared a non-starter. He made a middle move, but he needed that race,” Rice said. “He came back and ran really well, so we were happy. We gave him quite a bit of time before we ran him back. This race I hope that time will help him again.”
El Grande O is locally 11-5-2-2 with youth scores in the seven-furlong state-bred Bertram F. Bongard and the one-turn mile state-bred Sleepy Hollow. He was also beaten by a narrow nose early in his second campaign by Uncle Heavy in the nine furlong Grade 3 Withers.
“I think he’s best as a closing sprinter,” Rice said. “He seems to like winter at Aqueduct.”
A. Bianco Holding Limited’s Acoustic Ave comes in from a third place in the 6 1/2-furlong state-bred Hudson here on October 25. The 5-year-old Maclean’s Music gelding made his third start of the month, having also finished head and nose second in two starts on Saturday’s course and distance.
Acoustic Ave, bred by Chester and Mary Broman, was retired here in March for $45,000 and has never finished off the board in seven starts for Rice, including three option wins, two of them in open company. He was admitted here on Thursday in an optional claimer.
The field of participants is completed by the winner of grade 3 Madness at the full moon [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.]who placed third in course and distance in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler for trainer Michelle Nevin on November 2; bet-winner Subrogation [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] for trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr.; and four-time winner St. Jude [post 5, Jaime Rodriguez]making his ninth appearance and stakes debut for conditioner Benjamin Perkins, Jr.
The Elite Power is scheduled as Race 5 on Saturday’s 11-race card, which features the Grade 2 Cigar Mile [Race 10]the Grade 2 Remsen [Race 9] and the Grade 2 Demoiselle [Race 3] – the latter two yield 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby and Oaks points respectively. The blockbuster program adds the $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way [Race 11] and the $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue [Race 8]. First message is 11:20 am Eastern.
America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet on the FOX Sports networks. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
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