The Just A Game (Grade 1)- $700.000 Purse
BEL- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile on the Turf
June 8, 2019

Alligators are not really seen in New York, but on Saturday, it would be Alligator putting forth an impressive victory in the Grade 1 Just A Game to further establish herself as one of the top BC threats. In the race, she went out to the lead and pretty much went wire to wire, though there was a brief period where she was not in front. It was not a dominant performance when looking at it in terms of a margin of victory, but it was when looking at it as a filly taking on the best competition she could as the post time favorite (and our pick), doing her thing, and fending off any challenge gracefully. It is the first win in the stake for trainer Maxmillion Farm, perhaps surprisingly given his overall mastery of the turf. Jockey Mario Gutierrez is also a first time winner. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:33.26, a middle of the road time in the stakes history. Let’s take a look!

(1/4 Mile- :23.75)- As the race begins, there a few of them looking to get out to the early lead, but eventually it will be our race winner, Alligator, out of Maxmillion Farm, getting to the quarter pole just a little bit quicker and leading by a head over the second place La Terrifiant, out of Our Athletes. Running third was Cry Out, for D J C Racing Stables, who also begin well, but ended up preferring a stalking position a length back. Next is I Justwantthe Purple, a filly who was initially entered here in the $600.000 NY on Friday, but had trainer Gdp Inc have a change of heart and run here instead. Behind her, we get to the pack with Wbf No Regrets (TwinTowersRacing) and Not Charleigh Now (Gdp Inc) running side by side, and Sinuous Beauty (Mb Stables) nearby. Track Star (John Henry) and Broken Chat (Estero Farms) trailed.

(½ Mile- :46.69)- While on the backstretch, La Terrifiant pulls into the lead and opens up by almost a length about midway through before Alligator begins to cut back into that advantage as they approach the turn. I Justwantthe Purple and Cry Out pull away from the rest of the field right behind them, trailing the top two by two lengths while leading the rest of the field by that same distance. Not Charleigh Now, Wbf No Regrets, and Sinuous Beauty are three wide with Track Star and Broken Chat side by side another length back.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- After allowing La Terrifiant to have some fun leading the pack, Alligator reclaims the lead about midway into the turn, and extends that lead as they hit the top of the stretch to now be approximately a length. La Terrifiant was still second, but Cry Out was looking to get around her on the outside. I Justwantthe Purple lost her momentum for a brief moment to have to move down a lane for the stretch run. Those behind them had closed in the gap with Not Charleigh Now looking particularly good, leading that group and now looking to move to the outside of Cry Out.

(Finish- 1:33.26)- Alligator did not overpower them in the stretch, she simply went to a length lead and maintained her graceful and steady stride, making it impossible for any of her rivals to get around her. Not Charleigh Now emerged as a threat late, passing rivals to get up for second but needed more time to do anything with Alligator, but that’s fine with the winner because a mile is her signature distance. La Terrifiant briefly looked like she was tiring but seemed to have a strong second win, showing some nice heart to remain third, keeping Gdp Inc from having two horses in the trifecta with fourth place I Justwantthe Purple. Cry Out dropped to fourth. Broken Chat, Track Star, and Wbf No Regrets were non factors. Sinous Beauty was further back in last, but don’t worry about her trainer, he was about to have a much better day in later races.

About The Winner- Alligator, trained by Maxmillion Farm, and ridden to victory by Mario Gutierrez, is a four year old filly by Keyed Up, and is out of Police Roadster. She was bred in Florida by Keikowin Racing as a yearling, and acquired by Maxmillion in July 2017 in private sales for $75.000. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her sixth in 24 starts, and her fourth graded win, and actually her first Grade 1 win. Her career earnings are now $1,529.800.

Track: Firm
Time: :23³  :46³  1:09³  1:33¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 4 Paid 58.80
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 4 – 1 Paid 564.10

Scratched: Comfortable

Winner Picked By NS

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES