BAJAN TRAINER SAFFIE JOSEPH JR WINS US$250,000 EMPIRE CLASSIC AT AQUEDUCT

Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph Jr added yet another honour to his growing collection when four-year-old chestnut gelding Dr Blute captured the US$250 000 Empire Classic at Aqueduct here Sunday.

Going off at odds of 3-1 in race four – one of eight added-money races on the 10-race programme, Dr Blute went wire-to-wire under jockey Jose Ortiz to beat the three-year-olds and upward by three-quarters of a length in a time of one minute, 51.95 seconds.

Saffie Joseph Jr

For the Sean Flanagan-owned Dr Blute, the win was his maiden stakes triumph and his second success in four outings since joining Joseph’s barn.

Originally a sprinter, Dr Blute was making the mile and eighth trip for the first time.

“Going longer in general made him a much better horse,” Joseph was quoted as saying.

“We felt like he would stretch out going two turns. Obviously he had to do it before we could be certain about it and he handled it quite well.”

Ortiz broke Dr Blute sharply to set the early pace under pressure from 4-1 chance Sea Foam, laying down fractions of 23.97 seconds for the quarter mile and 48.41 for the half.

There was a near three-length gap back to favourite Barese and Curlin’s Wisdom, with Brooklyn Strong, Big Bobby and Montebello bringing up the rear.

Sea Foam faded in the stretch but Dr Blute remained steady and did well to hold off the fast finishing Curlin’s Wisdom and Barese.

“I felt on paper I was the speed of the speed,” Ortiz said.

“I talked to Saffie and he left it up to me. The way he broke there was no way I was going to give the lead away.”