New Gelding Clueless Joe Tops The Summer Stakes

By Nynl Stables on September 16, 2018

Summer Stakes (Grade 1) (BC)- $250.000
WO- For Two Year Olds
One Mile on Turf
September 16, 2018

We all know that in this virtual world, it can pay to geld a horse. For Allinthegate, the decision to do so for Clueless Joe has really paid off. In his first three races, it seemed like he had performed fine, but the trainer had bigger aspirations then that and wanted more. Therefore, Clueless Joe underwent the snip, and appeared in the Summer Stakes as a first time gelding. This was always a horse with a potential, so how much the geld mattered still remains to be seen to a certain extent, but in this race, it made all the difference. Clueless Joe will be heading to the BC! It is the first win in the stake for trainer Allinthegate, and their second career Grade 1 victory. Jockey J R Velazquez is now a two-time winner of the race. The time of the victory was 1:33.43, which was just .01 off the time run in the companion race for fillies (1:33.44), the Natalma. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :23.32)- Several break well out of the gate, but there becomes a rather ambitious pace setter in the form of Ugly Outcast, from Aer Stables, who takes a hold on the early lead, and quickly opens up the advantage to two lengths. The eventual winner, Clueless Joe, for Allinthegate, had initially run within him, but wisely decided to drop back into a stalking position. Along the inside, both Mb Stables’ Piece of Cake and Estero Farms’ Cut The Brakes were sharp from the gate, too, and also stalk the leader, as each run to the inside of Clueless Joe. It’s another length back to the fifth place Hefner, out of Jader Stable, and Gdp Inc’s Magne Bern. Power Trip is another half length back for Nakamura Stables. On the outside, our pre-race selection, Into The Light (Mb Stables) is five lengths back, half a length ahead of My Guy (Second Chance Farms) and Roll Along (Mb Stables), who are running to the inside. The trailers are Command Authority (Joshua Stables) and Aljezur (First Street Stables).

(½ Mile- :47.36)- Down the backstretch, and into the turn, Ugly Outcast would slow it down some, and would see his lead shrink over the rest of the field. A big part of that was the ambitious advance of Magne Bern, who used the backstretch to pull close to even with the leader, for the turn. The rest of the field had cut the gap as well. Battling for third was Clueless Joe with Cut The Brakes. Not much is separating them, and Into The Light is on the outside, beginning to join that battle, too. In the middle of the field, it was Power Trip and Hefner running three and a half lengths from the lead and another length to Piece Of Cake, who dropped back in the backstretch, and Roll Along. My Guy and Command Authority were next to run together, while Aljezur was all by himself at the back.

(Top of stretch, 2F To Go)- As they made their way around the turn, Clueless Joe was looking a lane to split Ugly Outcast and Magne Bern, and it looked to be available to just him. Then, the ever polite Ugly Outcast moved up a little closer to the rail so that both Clueless Joe and Cut The Brakes could each take the opening. On exit of the turn, they would do just that, and continue to run together in the stretch. They had been inseparable for most of the way, and now the question would be which one could get the win! Into The Light, running four wide, also was making a push forward, and moving five wide would be Hefner, to loom as a major threat at this point. Ugly Outcast and Magne Bern, at this stage, were still towards the front. Behind this wall of horses would be Power Trip, Piece Of Cake, and Roll Along, but they’d need something to open for them. Command Authority and My Guy were hanging in there, though Aljezur seemed beaten.

(Finish- 1:33.43)- In the stretch, what looked like it might be a close stretch battle proved to not be, as Clueless Joe left them all in his dust. Was this the geld, giving him this new stretch desire to pull away like this? Very possible, and his trainer, Allinthegate, had to be thrilled. Clueless Joe wins by a length. Cut The Brakes could not run with Clueless Joe in the stretch, and looked like he was going to be caught by Hefner for second. After a very tight photo, it was rules that Cut The Brakes had the headbob on Hefner for the exacta. Into The Light ran solidly for fourth. Along the rail, some room opened up for Piece Of Cake to be fifth, ahead of stablemate Roll Along. Magne Bern dropped to seventh, but defeats Command Authority, Power Trip, Ugly Outcast, My Guy, and Aljezur.

About The Winner- Clueless Joe, trained by Allinthegate, and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a two year old gelding by Pure Reindrops, and is out of Discretion. He was bred in New York by Allinthegate as a yearling, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her second in four career starts, and her career earnings are now $186.400.

Horse Name

Owner Name

Jockey

Odds

Fin

Time

SRF

Clueless Joe

Allinthegate

Velazquez J R

7.80

1¹