Two Bits rides the rail to prevail in Ruthless
EGL-One Racing’s Two Bits was put in a strong position near the rail and outdueled pacesetter Interstatelovesong to hold on for a victory by a neck in Friday’s $135,000 Ruthless for 3-year-old fillies sprinting seven furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Two Bits, who ran second in the one-mile Busanda last month at the Big A, was entered in the sprint by trainer Amelia Green, and the daughter of Hall of Famer American Pharoah showed her ability at the distance with a strong stretch run. Jockey Jaime Rodriguez kept Two Bits off Interstatelovesong’s pace, as she led the six-horse field through an opening quarter mile in 23.34 seconds and the half in 46.70 on the fast main track.
Rodriguez kept Two Bits to the inside, and the ground-saving trip put her on even terms with the Ricardo Santana, Jr.-piloted Interstatelovesong out of the turn. The two went stride-for-stride in the stretch, but Rodriguez provided left-handed encouragement and Two Bits prevailed under pressure, hitting the wire in 1:24.11.
Our Golden Gator ran third, with 4-5 favorite Shilling finishing fourth and Midnite Ginny and Courage On Tap completing the order of finish. The Green-trained Ivy Girl scratched.
“It was a perfect ride,” Green said. “The rail is very good right now and we discussed it before the race – if you can get to the rail, get to the rail, and he [Rodriguez] did just that. Luckily, the rail opened, which is what you always need when you’re there, and it all worked out today.”
Two Bits, who contested on turf in August at Saratoga Race Course before moving back to the main track for her last four starts, broke her maiden in November at the Big A. On Friday, she earned her first stakes victory, improving to 2-1-0 in six races overall.
Two Bits picked up 10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points in the Busanda where she was bested by Dazzling Dame, who won the fourth time in five starts and could potentially be a strong contender in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Green said she was impressed with that effort and her charge’s continued maturation.
“I think we ran into a very good horse last time,” Green said. “I’m very proud of her effort that day, too, and she’s just coming on every time. From that last race to this race, her works in between have been very impressive. Her work last week, I told her owners it was probably her best work to date, so I was fairly confident coming in today. The cutback from a mile to seven furlongs was obviously the only question, but she handled it fine.”
Green said Two Bits may get one more chance to qualify for the Oaks. Upcoming prep races at the Big A include the one-mile Listed $200,000 Busher [50-25-15-10-5] on February 28 and the nine-furlong Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle [100-50-25-15-10] on April 4.
“I think the plan is now to give her more time and give her one more chance in one of the bigger Oaks preps in the beginning of April,” Green said. “We haven’t decided which one yet, but we’ll give her a bit more time between races and decide closer to the [next race].”
Off at 5-2, Two Bits returned $7.54 on a $2 win bet. Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, she was selected by Green at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale where she hammered for $75,000. She improved her career earnings to $167,000.
“She got a good break,” Rodriguez said. “When I rode her and she broke her maiden, I rode the same race. I put her on the rail, it opened, and she went through. She gets brave when she goes inside. She gave me everything today. Last time, when she ran second [in the Busanda], the horse that beat me was much the best. I was happy with that race she ran. Today, I was really happy with the way she ran. The filly was excited, I let her be comfortable and once Ricardo opened up [the inside], I went through."
Titletown Racing Stables’ Kentucky homebred Interstatelovesong has finished first or second in all three career starts at Aqueduct for trainer Tom Morley.
Live racing is canceled on Saturday and Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack due to arctic temperatures and extremely low wind chill values forecast to impact the New York metropolitan area throughout the weekend. Aqueduct Racetrack will remain open for simulcast operations on Saturday and Sunday.
Live racing resumes Wednesday at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.
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