Adam Coglianese
by Sarah Mace
Billed as a showdown between New York-bred sophomore standouts Samraat (Noble Causeway) and Uncle Sigh (Indian Charlie), the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes contested at 1 1/16 miles on the Aqueduct inner track lived up to the hype in spades as the two separated themselves from the field and dueled the entire way before Samraat drew off to win by a determined length. The Withers is a points race in the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, offering 17 qualifying points (10-4-2-1) towards the May classic.
Undefeated in three starts by a combined 25 3/4, including a 16 3/4-length Damon Runyon romp on December 18, Samraat ended up as the narrow odds-on favorite at post time (edging Uncle Sigh in the win pool by $976).
Breaking sharply from post five (of six) under Jose Ortiz, Samraat immediately advanced to challenge Uncle Sigh, who went for the lead from his rail post under Pablo Morales. The duel, established from the outset, continued in earnest on the backstretch as the pair separated themselves from their rivals by as much as five lengths after the first half-mile (48.33) and seven lengths after three-quarters (1:12.77).
Adam Coglianese
Together in the far turn, the pair went head-to-head into deep stretch, until Samraat finally shook off the tenacious Uncle Sigh in the final jumps to secure the victory by a length in a final time of 1:46.31. There was a gap of 10 1/4 lengths to Scotland, the third-place finisher. [VIDEO]
Rick Violette, who trains the homebred for Len Riggio’s My Meadowview Farm, said, “It was a long drive. [Uncle Sigh] was kind of tested in his first race. We haven’t been. We left the rest of the field. As fast as we went early, it wasn’t like all of a sudden somebody from out of the clouds was going to get there. Hats off to both horses. They ran a huge, huge race today, and I think they’ll show up later in the year.”
Violette elaborated on race strategy. “We broke really well. The only thing was we weren’t going to just surrender the lead, because then it would have been a quarter in :25 and it would have been no contest. If [Uncle Sigh’s connections] were going to go, they were going to have to step on the gas. That was the plan: make them commit, and then we can lay off of them, and that’s what happened.”
Adam Coglianese
Jockey Jose Ortiz added, “My horse broke really good, I tried to go out and get the lead. By the half mile I had a lot of horse but [Uncle Sigh] was used already. He ran a big race. At the quarter pole I thought I had a little more horse; I thought I was going to pass him. My horse didn’t pick it up the way I thought he was going to, but he came through.”
Violette, who has been training Samraat at Palm Meadows since the Damon Runyon, and flew him back to New York on Wednesday for the Withers, said that given that the race was so tough he might wait for the Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial on April 5 for the colt’s next start, adding, however, “If he’s kind of kicking the walls down he can certainly come back for the Gotham [Grade 3, $500,000, March 1] or we can wait for the Wood or the Louisiana Derby [Grade 2, $1 million, March 29]. There are a lot of options.” Samraat returns to Florida Wednesday.
Samraat, now four-for-four lifetime ($283,200) debuts at number eight on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard, with ten points and $150,000 in non-restricted stakes earnings.
Gary Contessa, trainer of Uncle Sigh, who earned four “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points for Chip McEwen’s Wounded Warrior Stables, looks forward to the next meeting of the two colts.
“Maybe he got me on experience today; I look forward to Rocky II. That’s how I feel after a race like this; this was Rocky, I’m ready for Rocky II.” Said Contessa, “He ran well. I think the difference was that I, having the No. 1 hole, had to set the pace. My horse isn’t very experienced and I think he’s really going to mature off this effort. He never stopped running. I look forward to the rematch. Hopefully [Samraat] comes back for the Gotham. I’ll be there.”
Samraat is a son of Noble Causeway, who entered stud in Kentucky in 2008 at Crestwood Farm in Kentucky before relocating to Sequel Stallions New York in 2013 where he stands for a private fee. Foaled at Meadowview Farm in Watermill, the dark bay colt is out of Little Indian Girl, a winning Kentucky-bred daughter of Indian Charlie from the family of multiple graded stakes winner Nonsuch Bay. Purchased by My Meadowview at the 2008 Keeneland November sale for $150,000, Little Indian Girl has produced three other stakes performers led by top earner Original Fate by Grand Slam, who raced in Japan ($793,248), and graded black type-placed Screen Legend.
Uncle Sigh, who gave Samraat almost everything he could handle in the Withers in only his third career start and stakes debut, earned a stunning 95 Beyer speed figure in his unveiling when narrowly defeated at six furlongs in mud on December 7 by Groupthink. He went on to break his maiden on December 27 at Aqueduct by an eye-popping 14 1/2 lengths.
The $101,000-earner was bred by Milfer Farm Inc and is out of the unraced Pine Bluff mare Cradlesong, purchased in foal by Milfer Farm for $85,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November Sale, Cradlesong is a half-sister to graded stakes winners High Cotton and Symphony Song, and comes from the family of champion juvenile filly and million-dollar earner Storm Song. She has also produced black type winners Slew by Slew and Percussion.
