NYRA/Adam Coglianese
By Bill Heller
Barry Schwartz’s home-bred filly Iron Mizz, who had won one of three starts on turf, made quite an impression in her dirt debut on Showcase Day Friday at Saratoga. Rallying late under John Velazquez, Iron Mizz edged Code Red and Dylan Davis by three-quarters of a length in the 6 ½ furlong $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes for two-year-old New York-bred fillies.
In doing so, Iron Mizz gave Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher their third victory of the day.
“We definitely felt like she’s better on the turf, but her experience of having three races under her belt paid off today,” Pletcher said. “Her experience and the conditioning in those turf races really helped her in the final eighth of a mile.”
Tiznow’s Smile, who was adding blinkers and Lasix, finished third, a length and a half behind Code Red while a length and three-quarters ahead of Twist ‘n Shout and Irad Ortiz Jr.
Iron Mizz was 3-1, Code Red 8-1, Tiznow’s Smile 2-1 and Twist ‘n Shout 5-2 in the field of seven.
Iron Mizz is a daughter of Mizzen Mast out of Iron Goddess by More Than Ready who began her career by finishing fifth in an open maiden grass race at Belmont Park, May 29th. Switching to New York-breds, Iron Mizz broke her maiden on July 3rd. Iron Mizz then shipped to the Jersey shore, where she finished second in the open Colleen Stakes.
Pletcher changed surfaces and Iron Mizz had solid dirt works for her debut on the main track.
Twist ‘n Shout took a narrow early lead over Wilburnmoney, who was 8-1 with Luis Saez. Velazquez had Iron Mizz on the outside of that pair for a clear run. Twist ‘n Shout nursed a neck lead through an opening quarter in :22.24 and a half-mile in :45.92.
Then the pack closed in.
NYRA/Adam Mooshian
Velazquez rallied Iron Mizz on the outside and she and Code Red advanced on the leaders. Iron Mizz kept coming and out-finished Code Red for the victory in 1:19.50. [VIDEO]
Iron Mizz has already earned more than $170,000 with victories on grass and dirt. Her future seems limitless.
“This opens up plenty of options as well as giving us the added confidence in the event a race would come off the turf,” Pletcher said. “I believe her best surface is turf, but it’s nice to see her win a nice race like this on the dirt as well.”
Velazquez was pleased, too. “It was the first time on the dirt, and it was very good,” he said. “Normally when they come to the dirt they don’t run as well. She might not have been used to getting hit in the face with dirt, but thankfully it worked out good.”
