NYRA/Adam Coglianese
By Bill Heller
Repole Stable’s Super Surprise, the 4-5 favorite in the field of nine under John Velazquez contesting the mile-and-an-eighth $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes for three-year-old New York-bred fillies on Saratoga Showcase Day Friday, seemed buried in traffic around the far turn and into the top of the stretch. Then Velazquez saw a way through. He yanked Super Surprise outside of Riot Worthy and Joel Rosario, and found a seam. Once he did, Super Surprise came barreling down the center of the course, passing seven fillies in front of her to win the Fleet Indian Stakes by four lengths going away for her third consecutive victory.
She also gave the Pletcher/Velazquez team their fourth winner of the afternoon. “We’ve been together for a long time,” Velazquez said. “Winning four races with Todd today is just like the old days.”
Pletcher said, “He (Velazquez) said in the middle of the turn he was worried for half a second. But she grabbed him at the quarter pole and he said, `Now we’re fine.’”
Riot Worthy, who went off at 7-2 under Joel Rosario, nipped 8-1 Highway Star and Jomar Torres by a head for second. Mecke’s Madalyn was just another half-length back in fourth at 34-1.
Allen Hallett bred Super Surprise, a daughter of Giant’s Surprise out of Miz Lynne Kelly who sold for $55,000 as a yearling at Saratoga in August, 2014.
Super Surprise finished third in her maiden debut last year and second in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga. She finished fourth in another stakes, then broke her maiden in the $250,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes at Belmont, her final start as a two-year-old. She made her three-year-old debut here and won an allowance race handily as the 5-2 favorite.
Super Surprise was seventh and eighth early as 15-1 Roman Ceres and Junior Alvarado set the pace and 5-1 Frosty Margarita chased in second through a :23.25 first quarter, a half-mile in :47.70 and three-quarters in 1:12.05.
Then Highway Star, who had been fifth, rallied strongly. So did Riot Worthy. Velazquez, meanwhile, was desperate to find a way through with Super Surprise. When he did, Super Surprise unleashed a furious rally, zooming up to the leaders and then past them for another impressive victory. [VIDEO]
Super Surprise is now three-for-six with one second, one third and more than $360,000 in earnings.
