Photo: Stephanie Van Minos/Tom Cooley
Our Blue Streaks Stable’s Bug Juice won the 36th running of the $138,975 Aspirant Stakes on Labor Day, easily drawing away from the field of two-year-old state-bred rivals in the six-furlong contest to score the victory by seven lengths. The bay gelded son of Mingun completed the distance in 1:10.40 earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 89.
Bug Juice was making his third career start for trainer Bruce Levine on Monday. After debuting at Belmont with a third-place finish on July 8th, he won at Saratoga on August 4th, opening up 6 ¼ lengths on seven other state-bred juveniles and running six furlongs under Javier Castellano in 1:10.83 to earn a Beyer Speed Figure of 76. On Sunday he went postward as third choice in the wagering with leading Finger Lakes jockey John Davila, Jr. in the irons. The field of seven had six betting interests, with Saratoga debut-winner Pin Number and maiden Dream Drop Kid, two Majesty Stud home breds trained by Dominic Galluscio, running as entry mates.
After the break Bug Juice and Davila Jr. went straight to the lead from post five, and carved out a quarter in a snappy 22.36 and a half in 45.48. Pressing to his outside were post time favorite Hysterical Cat, a good-looking Saratoga debut-winner on August 8th for Todd Pletcher, and Dream Drop Kid. Neither could quite keep pace with the leader, however. Pin Number, who bobbled at the start and raced sixth early on, started to get under way as the leaders entered the turn. Davila Jr. gave Bug Juice two sharp cracks with the whip in the turn, and the gelding responded by pouring it on, mounting an ever-widening lead in the stretch. Pin Number, who had made his way to fourth by the top of the stretch, rallied past a tiring Hysterical Cat in the late stages. The winning margin was seven lengths, while 1 ¼ lengths separated the place and show finishers. Following the first three were: Dream Drop Kid, Gold Eagle, Innthewest and Turn Up the Music.
Photo: Stephanie Van Minos/Tom Cooley
Jockey Davila, Jr. felt his current confidence level had as much to do with the victory as anything. The 46-year-old journeyman said: “I’m riding with confidence; it’s me and the horse. With confidence I feel like I’m 15 years old.” Bug Juice has now earned $110,985 from his three starts.
Bred by Milfer Farm Inc., Bug Juice is the most recent reported foal from Twilight Empress a winning daughter of Twilight Agenda (Devil’s Bag). Three of her four foals to start (all New York-breds) have won. Bug Juice has gone once through the auction ring, selling to Neal Galvin as a weanling at the 2008 New York Fall Mixed sale for $2,700.
