SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown completed a turf trifecta stakes sweep at Saratoga as Dayatthespa, unraced since April, moved past pacesetting Assateague in upper stretch and drew clear to win Friday’s $100,000 Riskaverse Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths over a traffic-troubled Peace Preserver.
It was the third consecutive day that Brown won the featured turf event at the Spa. On Wednesday, he won the P.G. Johnson Stakes with Watsdachances and on Thursday he captured the Grade 2, $200,000 With Anticipation with Balance the Books.
“What a week,” said Brown, who won two races Friday and now has 27 for the meet, five behind Todd Pletcher with three days left in the meet. “Terrific ride by Javier [Castellano], and the filly showed up.”
Dayatthespa, a 3-year-old New York-bred daughter of City Zip, is now 4 for 4 this year and 5 for 7 overall in her career. She hadn’t run since winning the Grade 3 Appalachian at Keeneland on April 19.
Brown thought Dayatthespa would be on the lead in the Riskaverse. But Shaun Bridgmohan, aboard Assateague, was intent on being in front and outsprinted Dayatthespa to the lead into the first turn through a first quarter in 23.53 seconds.
Castellano was content on keeping Dayatthespa in second, tracking Assateague through a half-mile in 47.18 seconds and six furlongs in 1:10.91. Dayatthespa tackled Assateague outside the eighth pole and was never seriously threatened late. Peace Preserver had traffic under John Velazquez but did get out in time to power home for second by a neck over Alaura Michele.
“Javier, I thought, did a good job to use her that first quarter to at least get a spot,” Brown said. [Assateauge] was hell-bent on having the lead, so he went to Plan B because Plan A was to go right to the lead, and he executed Plan B beautifully.”
Dayatthespa, owned by Jerry Frankel, Ronald Frankel, Steve Laymon, and Peter Bradley, covered the mile in 1:34.20 and returned $3 as the favorite.
“I saw some other fast times on the turf today so I’m not sure what kind of number she’ll get,” Brown said. “Visually, watching the race, for not having run all the way since Keeneland, to run that kind of race I thought was terrific. Good performance.”
Brown said he would point Dayatthespa to the Grade 1, $400,000 Queen Elizabeth at Keeneland on Oct. 13.
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