Spring Quality lights up fall day: The 2017 Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct Ozone Park Oval

Photo Credit Joe Labozzetta / NYRA.

OZONE - Nov 11 - The wind held promise as shadows deepened on green turf and Aqueduct ground crew prepared for the 1 3/8th Mile Grade 2 Red Smith Stakes at OZONE PARK, N.Y. Saturday. As many as 12 thoroughbreds were expected to contest the event on the turf. I expected a slow early pace followed by some diligent closing. We got that -- if not a winner.

On paper the race seemed to augur a conflict between some high-class visitors (Messi, Money Multiplier, Hunter O'Reilly, Oscar Nominated - together responsible for over $4.8 million in earnings) and some talented but less vetted locals. The visitors may have had more confirmed class, but they'd been through long campaigns that put their conditioning in question. As far as speed went, Money Multiplier with many established 100+ Beyers had and edge. Pace, again, appeared likely to be slow or moderate, and a stalker would seem to have better chance than late runner. I estimated a Beyer figure between 95 and 100 would do it.

The selections here were 10, 3 with 3, 5, 7, 9 10.

I could not pick between Get Jets and Call Provision on top (the former had slightly bested the latter in the Sept 24 ungraded Cole stakes at Belmont). Underneath, I wheeled each of them along with Spring Quality, Oscar Nominated and Hunter O'Reily. I then waited with anticipation for the Red Smith Stakes, on afternoon when most of America was watching football. Last year's winner was one of my favorites, Bigger Picture, who won this year's United Nations Stakes, but trailed in last week's Breeders Cup Dirt Mile. But back to the Red Smith Stakes…

This race is named after the late great sports news writer, who entered the world as Walter Smith. He sort of inherited the mantle of Damon Runyon, though a fair bit more modern. He came from the era when boxing, baseball and horse racing were the American sports pastimes. I used to enjoy his New York Times columns into the 1980s. Words that flowed and stories that held. Here is an excerpt of some of his writing...

This is the week when dear little old ladies in Shawano, Wis., get to know about sports figures named Spectacular Bid and Flying Paster. Spectacular Bid and Flying Paster are thoroughbred race horses, and there are vast and sinless areas in this country where they and their like are regarded as instruments of Satan 51 weeks a year. Then comes the week of the Kentucky Derby, and sinless newspapers that wouldn’t mention a horse any other time unless he kicked the mayor to death are suddenly full of information about steeds that will run and the people they will run for at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday of May. In cities all over the land stenographers invest their silver in office pools, in cities and towns and on farms the sinless old ladies study the entries and on Saturday almost everyone tunes in on television.

And now, tuning into YouTube, we go to track announcer Frank Imbriale...

OZONE - Nov 11 - The golden leaves of Autumn eternal were sent a whirl as November chilled in earnest and they held the Red Smith Stakes at OZONE PARK, N.Y. Saturday. The winner by ½ L was Graham Motion's Spring Quality.

The results: 7-10-3. 

Memories of Peter (4) was allowed to set a slow first half-mile fraction of 51.08. That type of laggardness is par for the course these day in turf routs here.  Memories faded to fifth, but close to Money Multiplier the favorite, who had vied somewhat for the early lead.

The pace picked up as he faded- Spring Quality's final furlong went 11.12. Spring Quality paid $27.20, and proved he was capable of a distance that he had not previously won at.

Being near the pace was the place to be, and it worked to the advantage of Spring Quality.

"There was not much speed in the race, so I put him in a good position," Hall of Fame winning jockey Edgar Prado said. This was Prado's first NYRA graded stakes win in more than two years. The horse obtained a 100 Beyer figure.

I think Call Provision (10) and Get Jets (3) should both have been more active earlier. The Form says Get Jets was a bit unsettled at the outset. As the race ended very closely (like Call Provision, Get Jets was a mere ½ l behind the preceding equine, their slow starts could be important in deciding the ultimate outcome, although all agreed Call Provision was particularly impressive in defeat. Hunter O'Reilly, Messie and Oscar Performance failed to fire.

I offer a tip of the hat to the Daily Racing Form's Dan Ellman who had selected Spring Quality to win.

Trainer Motion indicated Spring Quality will get the winter off. Hopefully, we'll see him in the spring, when the birds begin to sing. - Jack Vaughan

Did I say close?