Just Beat the Odds makes graded debut in G3 Elite Power
Donna Wright’s Just Beat the Odds is set to make his graded stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Elite Power, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Elite Power, previously offered as the Runhappy during the Belmont at the Big A spring meet, is named for the 2022-23 Champion Male Sprinter Elite Power, who won nine of his final 10 starts for Hall of Fame-trainer Bill Mott, including back-to-back editions of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint from 2022-23.
Just Beat the Odds, a 5-year-old Munnings gelding trained by Gregg Sacco, has hit the board in 11-of-12 career starts and has been first or second in seven consecutive races. Just Beat the Odds enters from an over seven-month layoff dating to a neck second to Surveillance over Saturday’s course and distance on April 12.
“Some horses need a race, but he’s a type that has come around quickly this time,” said Sacco. “The layoff shouldn’t bother him. He is a really solid dude, with a lot of talent. It is not an easy task to come back off a layoff in a stakes, but he’s really worked very well each week and has given us every indication he’s ready to run.”
Just Beat the Odds [post 4, Manny Franco], prior to his last effort, wired a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer by six lengths over dual Grade 3-placed Twenty Four Mamba in March here. The performance earned a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure and came off a layoff dating to last April when he dominated a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer at Tampa Bay Downs.
Just Beat the Odds completed his preparations when breezing a half-mile in 48.40 seconds on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
“He is a horse that is very talented and he worked very good,” Sacco said. “He worked super, in fact, he hooked up with a horse - not by choice - but it was OK, he drew away. He cooled out great, so we will put him in the Elite Power. It is either this or a conditions allowance, they all come up strong. You have to run a top figure to win either, but he likes Aqueduct and is on schedule for Saturday.”
Bred in Kentucky by Red Oak Stable, Just Beat the Odds is out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Bella d’Oro, a half-sister to dual Grade 3-winner Belleski.
Current meet leading trainer Linda Rice, who won last year’s Runhappy with Joey Freshwater, will send out a pair of New York-breds in dual Grade 3-placed El Grande O [post 1, Flavien Prat] and multiple state-bred stakes-winner Acoustic Ave [post 3, Jose Lezcano].
Barry Schwartz’s homebred El Grande O hops back into graded company for the first time since a third in the one-turn mile Grade 3 Gotham last March here. The dual state-bred stakes-winning 4-year-old son of Take Charge Indy captured a six-furlong optional claimer by a head over Acoustic Ave last out on October 9 here.
The performance, which earned a career-best 99 Beyer, was El Grande O’s first win in his fourth start since a local optional claiming score last December. The dark bay was third in his seasonal debut in February here and returned over six months later when declared a non-starter in an optional claimer in August at Saratoga.
“His first start back at Saratoga was somewhat of a debacle. He didn't get underway well and was declared a non-starter - he made a middle move, but he needed that race,” Rice said. “He came back and ran very well, so we were pleased. We gave him quite a bit of time before we ran him back. This race, I hope that time will help him again.”
El Grande O is 11-5-2-2 locally with juvenile scores in the seven-furlong state-bred Bertram F. Bongard and the one-turn mile state-bred Sleepy Hollow. He was also defeated a narrow nose by Uncle Heavy in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Withers early into his sophomore campaign.
“I think he's best as a closing sprinter,” said Rice. “He seems to like the winter at Aqueduct.”
A. Bianco Holding Limited’s Acoustic Ave enters from a third in the 6 1/2-furlong state-bred Hudson on October 25 here. The 5-year-old Maclean’s Music gelding was making his third start of the month, having also been second by a head and a nose in two starts over Saturday’s course and distance.
Acoustic Ave, bred by Chester and Mary Broman, was haltered for $45,000 in March here and has never finished off the board in seven starts for Rice, including three optional claiming wins, two in open-company. He is cross-entered in an optional claimer on Thursday here.
Rounding out the field is Grade 3-winner Full Moon Madness [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], who was third last out over course and distance in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler on November 2 for trainer Michelle Nevin; stakes-winner Subrogate [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] for trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr.; and four-time winner St. Jude [post 5, Jaime Rodriguez], making his ninth outing and stakes debut for conditioner Benjamin Perkins, Jr.
The Elite Power is slated as Race 5 on Saturday’s 11-race card, which features the Grade 2 Cigar Mile [Race 10], the Grade 2 Remsen [Race 9] and the Grade 2 Demoiselle [Race 3] - the latter two award 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby and Oaks points, respectively. The blockbuster program adds the $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way [Race 11] and the $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue [Race 8]. First post is 11:20 a.m. Eastern.
America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.