N Y P D made his first turf and route appearance count, staying within striking distance throughout before delivering the winning move in the Grade III With Anticipation. The 2-year-old colt from Mb Stables, ridden by Santana R Jr, went off at just over 9/2 and prevailed by a head, completing the 1 1/16 miles over firm Saratoga inner turf in 1:40.40.

Race Recap

N Y P D captured the $225.000 With Anticipation (Grade III) at Saratoga, defeating six other 2-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles on firm inner turf. Owner/trainer Mb Stables sent out the winner, with Santana R Jr aboard.

The race was clocked in :23.3, :47.1, 1:10.3 and 1:40.2. N Y P D remained close throughout, racing third at each of the first three calls before moving past the leaders in the final stage. Lions Pride produced a steady late advance to finish second, while Spritzer, who controlled the opening portion of the race, held third.

The victory was particularly significant because N Y P D entered without a previous turf start or route race. His first three appearances had all come on dirt, including a ninth-place finish in the Sanford (G3) at Saratoga in July.

The Running — Flow & Calls

First call: Spritzer immediately assumed the lead, holding a half-length advantage. Lemon Crush was second, with N Y P D positioned third. Lions Pride followed in fourth, Street Taco fifth, Tumbling Down sixth and Mexican Dawn seventh.

Second call: Spritzer continued in front, maintaining a narrow advantage over Lemon Crush. N Y P D remained third and Lions Pride continued fourth. Street Taco, Tumbling Down and Mexican Dawn also retained their respective fifth, sixth and seventh positions. Through the first two calls, the running order had therefore remained remarkably stable.

Third call: Lemon Crush moved past Spritzer and took command. Spritzer dropped to second, while N Y P D continued to track the leaders from third. Lions Pride was still fourth, Street Taco remained fifth, Tumbling Down sixth and Mexican Dawn seventh. Although the first four horses had been separated into the same basic group throughout, the change in leadership created the opening for the eventual winner.

Final stage: N Y P D produced the decisive advance after having remained third through all three preceding calls, moving past Lemon Crush and Spritzer to reach the front. Lions Pride also accelerated strongly after racing fourth throughout, advancing into second.

Spritzer, who had led the opening two calls and remained second at the third, finished third. Mexican Dawn made the largest positional gain from the rear, progressing from seventh into fourth. Lemon Crush, after moving to the lead at the third call, lost ground late and finished fifth. Street Taco finished sixth after racing fifth throughout the earlier stages, while Tumbling Down remained near the rear and completed the field in seventh.

Each Runner Mentioned

N Y P D — Sat third at each of the first three calls, never losing contact with the leaders, and then produced his winning move in the final stage. The victory came in both his turf debut and his first route race.

Lions Pride — Raced fourth through each of the first three calls before supplying a strong late move to take second. It was his second consecutive productive turf performance following his maiden victory at Parx.

Spritzer — The post-time favorite controlled the race through the first two calls before yielding the lead at the third. He remained competitive and finished third.

Mexican Dawn — Raced seventh through all three intermediate calls before producing a notable late advance to finish fourth.

Lemon Crush — Tracked Spritzer from second through the opening two calls and then took command at the third. He was unable to sustain that advantage through the final stage and finished fifth.

Street Taco — Maintained fifth position through each of the first three calls before finishing sixth.

Tumbling Down — Raced sixth through the first three calls and finished seventh.

N Y P D Takes a Major Step Forward

The With Anticipation victory improved N Y P D’s lifetime record to four starts, two wins, with lifetime earnings of $183.00. His past performances now show one turf start and one route race, with both resulting in victory.

N Y P D is a 2-year-old bay colt by Great Caviar out of Script, was bred by Mo Mentum Farm in New York and is currently owned and trained by Mb Stables.

Track: Firm
Time: :23³  :47¹  1:10³  1:40²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 4 Paid 106.60
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 4 – 1 Paid 47.60

Scratched: None

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES