Weigh the Risks, NYRA Photo
Brian Bohl
Klaravich Stables’ Weigh the risks showed the same form in the fall as she did during the summer, building on a dominant win at Saratoga Race Course when she took advantage of jockey Manny Franco’s patient ride and outwitted a stubborn opponent. Patricia Ann to post a 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Pumpkin Pie at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Pumpkin Pie, a seven-furlong sprint for filles aged 3 and over that was rescheduled from October 31 after bad weather canceled that card, saw Weigh the Risks in action for the first time since beating the advantage company by 7 3/4 lengths at the Spa on July 23. The 4-year-old Mendelssohn chestnut broke sharply from the outer post 7 and finished in third place as Volleyball princess led the seven-horse field through a first quarter mile in 22.51 seconds and the half in 45.28 on the fast main track.
In the corner, Franco confidently pushed to weigh the outside risks, overtaking Patricia Ann and Volleyballprincess. Entering the stretch, Franco set his course for home, although rider Kendrick Carmouche kept Patricia Ann determined from the inside as three-quarters was clocked in 1:09.55. Undeterred, Weigh the Risks reached the wire in 1:22.22 to record her fifth victory in 12 starts for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.
Patricia Ann, trained by Carlos Martin, finished half a length ahead of a hard attack Scalable for second place, with Nic’s style finishing fourth. Saint Benedict preparation, Taliesin and Volleyball Princess completed the finishing order. Maggy’s Palace was scratched.
Bred in Kentucky by Porta Pia Stables, Weigh the Risks was the 6-5 favorite and returned $4.68 on a $2 win bet. Her fourth win in her last five starts on dirt – with a second-place finish in February’s Heavenly Prize Invitational at the Big A in that mix – took her career earnings to $369,321 with the winner’s share of $82,500 as she improved her record to 12-5-2-0.
After her strong effort in the one-mile Heavenly Prize, Weigh the Risks returned to sprinting and recorded her first career triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure with a 101 for her victory at Saratoga, before putting in another strong seven-furlong effort on Saturday.
“I had the outpost so I took advantage of that advantage – she traveled well and took me all the way around – I was loaded.” said Franco. “She hung on the left leash for a while, but as soon as she switched leashes she gave me the other equipment she has.
“I think she’s more dirty – she’s a lot more mature now and you can do whatever you want with her,” Franco added of the filly who made six of her first seven starts on grass.
Patricia Ann finished second for the second consecutive race, equaling her September 27 finish here, when she was second to R Disaster in the 6 1/2 furlong Grade 2 Gallant Bloom.
“No excuses, second best. I thought she ran her race,” Carmouche said. “She tried to fight back at the end, which was really good for her – she always does that, but I thought the horse that beat us was the best.
“When I got to the three-eighths pole I tried to get away from them, but I never managed to get away from them – second place,” Carmouche continued.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack with a nine-race card, with the $150,000 Awad in Race 3. The first post is 12:10 PM 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, go to https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
NYRA Bets is the official betting platform of Aqueduct Racetrack and the best way to bet on every race this fall. The NYRA Bets app is available to horse players nationwide and can be downloaded today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
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