NYRA/Chelsea Durand
By Sarah Mace
Uno Emayo, a gelded son of New York-based second crop sire D’ Funnybone (Rockridge Stud), and winner of $5,000 claiming race in Maryland two starts back, won a tight photo finish to capture Monday’s $100,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes for eligible New York-sired 3-year-olds.
Trained by Rudy Rodriguez for Carl Lizza Racing Stables LLC, whose principal Carl Lizza is a nephew of the late Carl Lizza of Flying Zee Stables and Highcliff Farm fame, Uno Emayo raced on the Aqueduct inner this winter and had been winless since breaking his maiden last July at Belmont Park second out. He dropped into the claiming ranks for the first time in February.
Things began to look up, as far as results are concerned, once the gelding shifted his base to Maryland, which yielded a second-place finish at Pimlico in the slop at the $10,000 claiming level, a nose victory at the same venue going 5 1/2 furlongs for a $5,000 tag and a three-quarter-length victory in his most recent start, a 5 1/2-furlong turf debut at Laurel where he was offered for $16,000.
There were no takers in Maryland and Carl Lizza made the call to bring him to Saratoga. As Rodriguez put it, “All the credit to the bosses. They told me to bring him here and give him a chance and that’s what we did.”
In Lizza’s words, “[Cinco Emayo] wasn’t really panning out on the dirt and we got him down in Maryland and ran his first time on the turf down a few weeks ago and he ran pretty good, so we said let’s bring him back to New York because he’s a New York-bred,” adding, “You have to go to Saratoga.”
The other question for Uno Emayo going into the race was how he would handle the stretch-out in distance, going from a series of sprint starts to a mile. He had finished off the board in his sole start (dirt) beyond six furlongs. This was a question for which Uno Emayo had all the answers.
With hot handed meet-leading jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. at the controls, and relatively ignored by betters as 6-1 fourth choice in the field of five, Uno Emayo settled into second position tracking early leader Cuckoo’s Station as the first half mile went in 47.88.
Uno Emayo gained more steam around the far turn and briefly gained the lead at the head of the lane, but was carried out by Cuckoo’s Saloon as Cloud Control cut the corner.
Headed by 4-5 favorite Cloud Control in upper stretch, the gelding dug for home. The trio of Uno Emayo on the outside, Cloud Control between horses and Rooftop View, rallying from last into a gap at the rail, hit the line together, with Uno Emayo nosing Rooftop View for the win spot and Cloud Control finishing a head behind in third.
NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Completing the order of finish were Go Go Lucky and Cuckoo’s Saloon. The final time for the race was 1:35.37. [VIDEO]
Ortiz said after the race, “At the final turn, the horse inside of me [Cuckoo’s Saloon] was starting to go out, which made me go out a little bit. The jockey tried to control his horse, so I wanted to make my move in the middle of the turn. The horse kept coming and was there for the win today.”
On the success of the Uno Emayo’s transition to a route, Rodriguez said, “In the mornings, he looked like he wanted to go longer. He looked like he could stretch out but we tried a couple of times and it didn’t work. Today, he proved he can do it. I give the horse credit.”
Lizza, unphased by the close finish, concurred with his trainer, though he did call the stakes win “amazing.” He also lavished praise on Rodriguez: “In his last three races on the dirt and turf he was a closing sprinter and seemed like he could stretch out. But that’s all Rudy, Rudy’s training. He does a great job.”
Rodriguez has no definite plans for Uno Emayo next start.
With four wins, a second and three thirds, Uno Emayo has earned $146,382.
Bred by Glasscock Financial Services, LLC and foaled at Vinery NY at Sugar Maple in Poughquag, Uno Emayo is the sole winner from two starters out of Cinco Emayo, a winning Kentucky-bred daughter of Broken Vow.
Passing twice under the auctioneer’s hammer, Uno Emayo sold as a weanling for $20,000 at the Fasig-Tipton fall mixed sale, and was picked up for $30,000 by David Crow at OBS the following year.
