NYRA/Adam Coglianese
By Sarah Mace
Facing winners for the first time on Sunday and stretching out to two turns in Aqueduct’s $100,000 East View Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies, Newman Racing’s Absatootly (Mineshaft) delivered a winning performance for trainer Charlton Baker, showing the way from the bell and holding late to gain the victory.
Tabbed as the 2-1 wagering favorite, Absatootly established the lead a few strides after breaking from post two and clocked early fractions of 24.06 and 48.13, attended a half-length back by B Three. The front two traveled with relative positions unchanged along the backstretch and around the far turn.
Angling out at the head of the lane, Absatootly improved her advantage over B Three to a length by midstretch, but the race was not quite over. In the final moments, a late-charging Backwood Bay surged from fourth and almost snatched the victory, but Absatootly managed to hold the win by a nose. B Three finished third.
NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Completing the order of finish were Flatware, Riotworthy, Singsong, Eloweasel and Out of Nowhere. After six furlongs in 1:12.99 and a mile in 1:39.61, the final time for the 1 mile and 70 yards over the “good” inner track was 1:44.50. [VIDEO]
Winning jockey Kendrick Carmouche was named to ride after regular pilot Jose Ortiz took off his mounts for X-rays on his left ankle following a spill in the first race. Carmouche said, “Charlie Baker has done a very good job with this filly. I was just the man who picked up the horse from Jose Ortiz. I’m glad he’s all right, that’s the main thing, but he’s pretty much done all the work on her. I’m just glad to get the victory.”
Carmouche continued, “Charlie just told me that I’m the controlling speed, just go to the lead and hold them off as long as I can and she did that. I didn’t look back, I was hollering for the wire to come, but she did everything perfect.”
Baker added, “I thought she would be able to handle stretching out a bit, but I think she’s better sprinting. The last stride I was thinking, ‘I don’t want to get beat like that!’ I think after this we’ll go back to sprinting. I don’t have anything in mind; we’ll see what comes up in the book.”
Following a runner-up finish in her Aqueduct debut going six furlongs on November 6, Absatootly graduated convincingly on November 25 at 6 1/2 furlongs before stretching out in the East View. With two wins and a second from three career starts the bay filly has now earned $104,000.
Bred by the late Donald Newman and campaigned by his son Richard, Absatootly is the second foal and second winner out of So N So (Freud), winner of the 2009 Lucy Scribner Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The mare’s first foal is multiple winner So Let It Be So (Sky Mesa). Absatootly was foaled at Fawn Ridge Farm in East Nassau.
So N So currently has an unnamed yearling colt by City Zip and a weanling colt by Desert Party.
