NYRA/David Alcosser
by Sarah Mace
Apparently Newman Racing’s homebred Tricky Zippy is, in fact, quite tricky or, as trainer Jimmy Jerkens puts it, “quirky,” but that doesn’t seem to be preventing her from developing into a formidable force in the ranks of New York-bred female sprinters.
The City Zip sophomore took her stakes debut and third straight race at Saratoga on Thursday when she won the 6 1/2-furlong Union Avenue for New York-bred fillies and mares by a commanding margin after prompting a fast pace.
Trained for the first seven races of her career by Carlos Martin, Tricky Zippy, who broke her maiden at third asking at Aqueduct in April, came into the Union Avenue off back-to-back open-length wins in sprints at Belmont Park. Her most recent victory came on July 18 at the same distance as the Union Avenue under jockey John Velazquez over a track labeled “good” in 1:18 1/5 for which she earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 86.
NYRA/Chelsea Durand
Having moved her tack to the Jerkens barn, but reunited Velazquez on Thursday, Tricky Zippy, who was bet down to 5-2 from her 6-1 morning line odds, hustled out of the gate from the outside post of ten and gained third, then second position to prompt freewheeling 24-1 longshot Irish Whisper who clocked a first quarter-mile in 21.82 and half in 44.87.
Advancing to nearly even terms with the pacesetter while rounding the far turn, Tricky Zippy took her on at the top of the lane and gained command at the three-sixteenth pole. She then drew off to a visually impressive 4 3/4-length victory.
Runner-up Willet, as usual, being ridden over to the paddock
Favored veteran Willet (3-2), who won the race in 2013, closed from well back to capture second, a half-length ahead of Miss Da Point, who closed from ninth to finish third.
Completing the order of finish were Sister Margaret, last year’s Union Avenue winner Uncle Southern, Court Dancer, Make the Moment, Atlantic’s Smile, Prairie Stone and pacesetter Irish Whisper. The final time for six and one-half furlongs was 1:15.78. [VIDEO]
John Velazquez reported, “She broke really well. I just let her do whatever she wanted, whatever she was happy to do. She was doing it pretty easily. It seemed like we were going fast on the tele-timer but it seemed like she was handling it very easily. I let her gallop along and run down the lane.”
Jimmy Jerkens opened with a little insight into the chestnut filly’s character. “She’s really quirky. You have to be careful around the barn she reacts to anything and you just have to have a lot of patience with her.”
Jerkens then switched gears to the filly’s talents and preparation. “[Previous trainer] Carlos [Martin] had her in terrific shape; all we had to do was keep her the same, so a lot of credit goes to him. She broke running, and I knew we were in business when she was laying that close without even asking her,” Jerkens said.
Jerkens added, “You know you’re always in business when they’re running like that. She’s a City Zip and they’re tough, hearty animals. They can be difficult to train and do things with but you get them in the gate and the gate opens and they’re tough. This the first one I’ve had. I wish I had more.”
Bred by Donald Newman and foaled at Fawnridge Farm in East Nassau, Tricky Zippy is out of Honky Tonk Trick, a winning New York-bred daughter of Phone Trick bred by Barbara Brewer and purchased as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred sale for 85,000.
Both of Honky Tonk Trick’s starters are winners and enjoying stakes success. Tricky Zippy’s half-brother Eye Luv Lulu by Pollard’s Vision placed last year in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes and Albany Stakes at Saratoga. Honky Tonk Trick has a yearling colt out of Broken Vow and was bred this year to Tale of the Cat.
Tricky Zippy has now won four of eight lifetime starts with one second and one third and earned $193,048.
