Cadenza rallies from last to capture Listed Galway

Stonestreet Stables’ Cadenza tossed her head at the start and broke a step slow, but she quickly recovered to post a remarkable 1 1/2-length score in Saturday’s Listed $200,000 Galway, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, Cadenza provided jockey Manny Franco with a sweep of the day’s stakes races having rallied to win the Grade 1 Christophe Clement Turf one race earlier with Survie.

“Definitely wasn’t the trip that we expected because she got left out of the gate. I’m in the back of the pack, but at the same time it worked out great,” Franco said.

Gerrards Cross broke alertly from the inside post under Dylan Davis and showed the way through an opening quarter-mile in 21.93 seconds over the yielding turf with Triskelion pressing from second and Oscar's Encore in third as the slow-starting Cadenza could see them all in last-of-8.

Cadenza gradually worked her way into contention and showed a strong turn-of-foot with a wide bid through the turn to take aim at Gerrards Cross, who marked the half-mile in 45.89.

“They were moving in front, so I was happy. By the three-eighths pole, I took her to the outside and she started eating up ground. I was happy with the way she was doing it,” Franco said.

Gerrards Cross maintained a precarious lead as she spun the field into the stretch run with Triskelion to her outside and the onrushing Cadenza picking up steam in the center of the course. Cadenza, under right-handed encouragement from Franco, found the front in mid-stretch and powered home a comfortable winner in a final time of 1:03.91.

Cox said he was pleased with the sustained run from Cadenza.

“I didn't think she was traveling great for the first part of it,” Cox admitted. “She always runs with her tail kind of kinked — she came in like that last year — but he [Franco] said when he tipped her out going into the turn and she saw daylight, she just grabbed him and took him there, and she stayed on well.”

Epic Lady Luck, under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, closed to complete the exacta by a nose over a game Gerrards Cross. Mythical, Triskelion, Queen Juno, Oscar’s Encore and Mauna Loa completed the order of finish. Mauna Loa, who was reported to have bled by The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) Veterinary Department, was pulled up in the gallop out and provided a ride back to the barn area in the equine ambulance. Main-track only entrant L’Eclair was scratched.

Castellano said the George Weaver-trained Epic Lady Luck performed admirably in her stakes debut.

“I really liked the way she did it,” Castellano said. “I liked the way she finished. I think the winner, she got the momentum. I was behind horses. I was able to find my spaces and seams, but still second best today. It’s good black type and the winner was much the best. They passed us and got it done.”

Cadenza was making her third consecutive start over course and distance, arriving from third-place finishes in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly in June and the Grade 3 Coronation Cup last out on July 18 when 7 1/4-lengths back of last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint-winner Cy Fair.

“She traveled well last time, and then it looked like she had a shot, but then, obviously, Cy Fair kicked away,” Cox said. “This is a good group of fillies. I thought this was a competitive race on paper, but, obviously, with [Cy Fair] not being in here [this was] a softer spot than last time.”

The victory continued a torrid run of form for Franco, who won six races on a single card here August 7 topped by a victory with Bottas in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. His score with Cadenza was his fifth stakes win of the meet.

“This is great, just unbelievable. I’m thankful to be in this position,” Franco said.

Bred in Kentucky by KMN Racing, Cadenza banked $110,000 in victory while improving her record to 9-4-1-3. She returned $10.08 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card headlined by the Grade 3, $225,000 Mahony in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

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