NYRA/Adam Mooshian
by Sarah Mace
Making his stakes debut in Saratoga’s Friday feature, the $100,000 Evan Shipman Stakes for New York-breds three and up at nine furlongs, Royal Posse sat a classic stalking trip, hooked the pacesetter at the quarter pole and just kept digging to the wire to win a photo by the closest of bobs.
A four-year-old gelding by Posse, Royal Posse was claimed for $20,000 by trainer Rudy Rodriguez for Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables LLC and Gary Aisquith out of a close runner-up finish going one mile at Belmont Park on May 31.
In two subsequent starts for his new connections, both in second-level state-bred allowances at Saratoga at 1 1/8 miles, Royal Posse finished second by a half-length to Evan Shipman rival Sea Raven on July 24 and won next out on August 20 by 2 3/4 lengths. Although the Evan Shipman spot was ambitious, the timing and race conditions made Rodriguez think it was worth a chance.
Said Rodriguez, “We entered [Royal Posse] just to take a chance. If he had finished third or fourth, it was going to be good.”
Breaking well from post four of six under Javier Castellano, Royal Posse did not take long to set up at the flank of pacesetter Saratoga Snacks, who was looking to double up on stakes victories after taking the Saginaw downstate on July 18.
Shadowing Saratoga Snacks along the backstretch, sometimes right at his flank, sometimes a length or more back through comfortable fractions of 25.37 and 50.14, Royal Posse was asked for a little more by Castellano on far turn and arrived at the quarter pole on nearly even terms with Saratoga Snacks.
Saratoga Snacks was determined, and Royal Posse simply refused to give an inch as the pair battled hammer and tongs down the stretch. In the end, Royal Posse just got his nose down in front at the wire to win a tight photo finish. Empire Dreams finished third behind the front pair, followed by Zivo, making his first start since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 1. Gridley Here and Sea Raven completed the order of finish. After a mile in 1:37.81, the final time for nine furlongs was 1:49.91. [VIDEO]
Castellano reported, “The way the race developed you could tell it was only a two-horse race. All the rest of the field came from way back. I just rode my race; I gave a chance to my horse. He doesn’t have to be on the lead. I thought Saratoga Snacks would be on the lead and I just wanted to follow him all the way. I was in the right place at the right time and he gave me a good kick today.”
Trainer Rodriguez gave full credit to the determination of both Royal Posse and Saratoga Snacks, as well as Castellano’s ride. “I thought the other horse [Saratoga Snacks] came back and beat us [at the wire],” he said. “I thought we were kind of going to draw away from him, but the other horse is a very, very game horse. I have to give all the credit to Javier. He rode the horse very, very good and it looked like the slow pace helped us a little bit better.”
Bred by Richard J. Troncone and Richard J. Troncone, Jr., Royal Posse is out of Struckbylightning, an unraced Kentucky-bred daughter of Cryptoclearance. She has produced four winners from five foals to start, led by stakes-placed Ampart Ridge by Cactus Ridge, who earned $176,000 and Fried by Freud, a nine-time winner of over $116,000. The mare’s most recent reported foal as a yearling filly by Desert Party.
Royal Posse improved his career record to five firsts and five seconds from 23 starts with his first stakes victory and boosted his earnings to $272,245.
