Mrs. Astor goes back to back in the Red Carpet Stakes, Benoit Photo
Jasmine Torrez
Favorite Mrs. Astor defends her title in the $100,000 Grade III Red Carpet Stakes at one and three-eighths miles on grass.
While stablemate Will Then carved out the breaks, favoring Ms. Astor (8-5), handled patiently by Umberto Rispoli, sat back on the rail in sixth place with Juan Hernandez and Paradise Lake (3-1) to the outside, just two lengths from the lead. As the field rounded the far bend for the second time Will Dan’s lead began to diminish to half a length as Public Meeting (4-1) and Antonio Fresu came on his inside. Mrs. Astor gave chase behind the Public Assembly, found a seam between the horses and charged through it with a brave move to win the Red Carpet by a neck. It was another length and a half back to Paradise Lake, who traveled four wide past the eighth pole to hold off a late charge from D’Amato’s. Sun from the hill by a neck for show.
“As I come around the corner I can see that (Public Assembly with Antonio Fresu on board) is the horse to beat,” said Rispoli, “I was just begging for a gap. So when Antonio opened up for me I could see that (Will Then) was getting tired. I took the gap and she sprints really well. Jonathan has prepared the filly very well for this.”
Ms Astor is the 2024 Red Carpet Stakes winner with three wins and five overall.
“We knew we were going to make the train ride and gain ground,” said trainer Jonathan Thomas, “You always hope they’ll free themselves. There was enough horse there, you just hoped for a little opening and it worked out the way we hoped, and that’s rare. She’s so genuine, she stands up to everything we put her on.”
Mrs Astor, a five-year-old mare home-bred for George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stables, has improved her record to 21-7-5-4 with $567,235 in earnings. She gave back $5.40, $3.80 and $2.60 to her donors.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Public Assembly paid $4.00 and $2.80. Paradise Lake, trained by Peter Eurton, returned $3.00.
The splits of the race were 24.95, 49.89, 1:15.77, 1:41.58, 2:06.79 and a final time of 2:18.86.
Live racing resumes on Monday with a nine-race card, first post time 12:30 p.m
UMBERTO RISPOLI (Mrs. Astor – Winner) – “She broke pretty well. She’s a filly that even though she’s going slow, you have to ask her to get too close. What happened last time was we tried to be close, the pace was slow and she didn’t finish with a kick. So Jonathan decided today that if the three of us go back, we have to get close. I told him if they go slow, we’re going to get stopped. He said we have to take the risk. If the trainer asks you, you know, to take the risk and Do what you feel comfortable with.” As I come around the bend I see that (Public Assembly with Antonio Fresu on board) is the horse to beat. I was just begging for a hole. So when Antonio opened for me, I saw (Will Then) getting tired, I took the gap and she sprinted the filly up here really well.
JONATHAN THOMAS (Mrs. Astor, winner) – “We knew we were going to make the train ride and gain ground. You always hope they’ll free themselves. There was enough horse there, you just hoped for a little opening and it worked out the way we hoped, and that’s rare. She’s so genuine, she shows up at everything we throw her at.”
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