Odds On Steno and Arbitrage Hanover, both sired by Bettors Wish, completed three-race sweeps of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for three-year-olds on the pace, winning their respective $328,767 finals Saturday night (May 25) at the Meadowlands.
Pulp Fiction took off quickly from post seven in the fillies' sprint and crossed the finish line in 1:27. Odds On Steno, who was in no rush from post eight in the eight-horse race in the early going, marched her way toward the leader racing on the outside before clearing at three-eighths and hitting the half in a not-so-taxing:55.2.
“Not really,” noted winning driver Andy McCarthy if he was concerned that horses were leaving underneath him. “I figured there'd be a few leavers in there. You know, the way that she went last week, I figured that they wouldn't want to be too far away from me. So, I expected a little bit of pressure early in the pace and then I just kind of let the dust settle and worked my way up there.”
A gentle three-quarter time of 1:24.1 left plenty of gas in the tank for the daughter of Bettors Wish-Odds On St Lucie, and Odds On Steno raced through her final quarter in:26.4 on the route to an easy 3-length victory in 1:51. Where is Larry emerged from the three holes to shoot down Pulp Fiction for the slot.
“She was terrific tonight and she did that very easy, so hopefully onwards and upwards, she's good,” stated McCarthy. “I figured she was doing everything right at the time [through the stretch]. I didn't really want to mess with her too much [by pulling her earplugs]. I was just telling her that she was a good girl, and keep on trucking.”
Odds On Steno, trained by Tony Alagna and owned by Let It Ride Stables and Odds On Racing, was the 1-5 popular choice at odds of $2.40 to win for the third time in a row. She has already won half of her 14 lifetime starts, totaling $339,260.
Arbitrage Hanover's assignment was more challenging than Odds On Steno's in the colts and geldings class, but the Brett Pelling student remained undefeated in four seasonal attempts after overcoming post 10 in a tough field.
“Well, Todd (McCarthy is) good at (leaving the gate),” mentioned Pelling. “I mean, Todd's one of the best I've ever seen at getting one off the wing, so you knew he was going to go forward.”
So Todd asked for speed from the gelded son of Bettors Wish-Ana Hanover, and he got it, as 'Arbitrage' finished first in the quarter while parked in:27. Better Is Nice, sent to the gate as the favourite for the third time in a row (this time, 3-2), had his sights set on the point, and Todd's older brother Andy positioned his horse there, leading at the half in:54.4.
Endofstory, also aiming for an NJSS sweep, was now attacking the leader on the outside as Arbitrage Hanover remained patient in the pocket and Better Is Nice passed three-quarters in 1:23.
Endofstory was unable to continue his bid during the stretch drive, and with a little more than a sixteenth-of-a-mile to go, Todd discovered a sliver of place for Arbitrage Hanover along the inside to defeat Better Is Nice by a thrilling half-length in a lifetime-best 1:49.1. Mr Three O Five finished third after a tremendous performance in the long stretch.
“He's a push button, wears a little pony bridle, and does anything you like,” noted Pelling of Arbitrage. “The hesitation he had last year just in the turns with just nicking a knee a little bit. It seems to have passed him by.”