NYRA/Chelsea Durand
By Sarah Mace
On July 22, Michael Dubb’s 6-year-old mare Literata (Read the Footnotes) was still looking for her first trip to the winner’s circle since last September, and seventh lifetime score. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez shipped her to Finger Lakes that day hoping she could get a confidence-building victory.
Mission accomplished. Literata scored an allowance win by open lengths in Farmington and, three weeks later at Saratoga, parlayed her success into a first career stakes win: a determined half-length victory in Monday’s $100,000 Saratoga Dew Stakes at 1 1/8 miles for older New York-bred fillies and mares.
Runner-up to a romping Katheryn the Wise in the Critical Eye Stakes on May 29, and third in the same race in 2016, but not yet a stakes winner, Literata was reunited on Monday with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who had been aboard for all 12 of her starts last year, piloting the consistent runner to two wins, four seconds and three thirds.
Third choice in the betting at 3-1 on Monday, Literata was forwardly placed after the break, 1 1/2 lengths behind Flattermefabulous (7-2), who carved out an opening quarter mile in 24.98. Jc’s Shooting Star tracked the action in third followed by Legally Bay and Jc’s American Dream – the older half sister to Jc’s Shooting Star.
Flattermefabulous continued to lead along the backstretch through a half mile in 49.18, but in the approach to the far turn, with a half-mile left to go, Literata made decisive move, gaining the lead and asked for her best at the quarter pole.
The “Jc” siblings tag-teamed Literata in the stretch. The rail opened for Jc’s American Dream, who cut the corner neatly and advanced from fifth into second, while Jc’s American Dream challenged Literata to her outside.
After a tooth-and-nail battle to the finish line, Literata prevailed in the final sixteenth to score by a half length. Jc’s American Dream in second finished 2 1/2 lengths ahead of her younger sibling, while Legally Bay, Super Allison and Flattermefabulous completed the order of finish. After three-quarters of mile in 1:13.97, the final time for nine furlongs over the fast main track was 1:52.16. [VIDEO REPLAY]
“I broke out of there, and [there was] not too much pace in the race,” reported Ortiz, Jr. “We just knew we were going to be close, so I sat there comfortable, and waited as long as I could, and let her start to pick it up early, and she just kept going. When the other one [Jc’s American Dream] got through on the inside, I knew she’d fight a little bit, so I got close to her and kept going with her, and I knew my filly doesn’t quit, so we were in good shape.”
With the Saratoga Dew victory, Irad tied his brother Jose for leading rider at the meet with 32 wins each. “Well we are tied, so keep it tied for now, and we’ll see who’s happy in the end,” said the elder Ortiz.
Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said, “We are just happy to be here. It worked out good for us. All the credit has to go to Irad. He kept the filly very close and most of these horses don’t want to go that far, so I think the key was to keep her close to the pace. We were close enough that when the other horse made their move, I think the extra furlong kind of got to them. The second horse [Jc’s American Dream] ran a really good race, but Irad pushed her a little bit and maybe intimidated her a little bit, and everything worked out good for us today.”
As to the trip to Finger Lakes last month, Rodriguez explained, “We just wanted to build her confidence [and] win a race for her. Sometimes when you win a race with them, they get a little more into it, and it looked like it worked. Now we have put three [good] races back to back, so she is running very good. She is in very good form now.”
Literata is the first New York-bred for Judy Orton, who runs a small hands-on breeding operation called Meadow View Thoroughbreds LLC in Canajoharie. Orton bred her placed Kentucky-bred Personal Flag mare Personal Wealth to Read the Footnotes after Jan Durrschmidt of Indigo Farm gave her a season she had won the season at Sequel Stallions’ annual stallion show (conducted at Keane Stud that year) and encouraged the mating.
At auction Literata brought $18,000 from Western Guidelines as an OBS yearling in 2012 and resold later to EQB at the Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale in Kentucky for $30,000. Literata, whose record is now eight wins, nine seconds and four thirds from 33 starts with earnings of $475,898, is the last reported foal for Personal Wealth.
