After trailing the field, House Party got through on the inside to overtake favored Cyber Secret and win the $200,000 Grade 2 Nassau County Breeders’ Cup Stakes for three-year-old fillies by three lengths at Belmont yesterday.
Cyber Secret held well to be second, with City Sister a half-length back in third and Uphill Skier five lengths further back, last in the field of four. Randaroo was a late scratch due to a lung infection.
Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, fresh from winning the Aqueduct Spring Meet on the main track, trains House Party, who was coming off an impressive victory in the Legal Light Stakes at Delaware Park in the slop. This is her second consecutive stakes victory and third stakes victory of her career. Kentucky Derby winning jockey Jose Santos guided House Party to victory. The final time of the race was 1:23.28 and House Party paid $6.50 to win.
At the start, Cyber Secret broke on top. Santos was content to keep House Party last, but only a couple lengths off the pace. “I tried to relax my filly,” Santos said. “I feel the only way I can get her to relax is to put her right in between horses.”
Turning for home, Santos started to angle House Party to a clear running lane. Santos couldn’t go outside with House Party because City Sister was right alongside of her and they bumped. Santos then angled her inside of Cyber Secret. “When I asked her to run in the clear, she just took off and won easy,” said Santos.
As for her next start, Jerkens wouldn’t commit to the Grade 1 Acorn yet.
“I don’t know what we’ll do with her, I haven’t thought about that yet,” Jerkens said. “She’s had a lot of races so far this year.”
*
In the supporting stakes of the day, favored Shake You Down proved that he is more than a mud-loving sprinter as he led every step of the way to win the $108,400 Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap. Here’s Zealous was a length behind in second, with Peeping Tom 3 1/4 lengths further back in third.
Shake You Down won for the third time in as many starts since being claimed by Scott Lake for $65,000 on March 12. Mike Luzzi, the Aqueduct spring meet riding champion, rode Shake You Down to victory in a time of 1:08.47.