Every so often, the racetrack offers moments that cease time. Such was the case for the Sunday crowd at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 4 as they cheered house one other stellar efficiency by one of many nice marathoners, Subsequent , within the $130,500 Birdstone Stakes.
Because the 6-year-old gelding drew off from his opponents, monitor announcer Frank Mirahmadi stirred up the gang with a “let him hear it.” The group answered enthusiastically as a roar echoed all through the sacred grounds.
That was NEXT LEVEL! 🏇🏼 NEXT wins the Birdstone Stakes impressively for the second 12 months in a row with @luanmachado85 aboard for coach @doug_cowans! pic.twitter.com/twYyuHGf9W
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 4, 2024
“I received goosebumps,” mentioned coach Doug Cowans. “I believed that was a very nice factor for Mirahmadi to do. The horse actually deserves that, he is a brilliant particular horse.”
Going through simply three opponents, the marathon king was justly wager all the way down to favoritism of 5 cents to the greenback however skilled a little bit of chaos within the opening half mile of the 1 3/4-mile affair.
After initially taking the lead, Time for Hassle abruptly pale to final and was eased by jockey Flavien Prat. He would gallop out the complete size of the stretch and stroll off on his personal.
Slip Mahoney pounced on the chance and took the lead. Subsequent, praised by his connections for his intelligence, was unphased by the chaos to his inside.
“He takes every little thing in stride day by day,” Cowans mentioned. “One thing going mistaken within the race, I do not suppose it even phased him in any respect.”
“I did not know what was going to occur subsequent,” mentioned jockey Luan Machado. “I simply received him separated from the sphere and let him do his factor.”
Subsequent did his factor in type.
Content material to stalk second behind a dawdling tempo of :51.09, 1:16.73, 1:43.05, and a pair of:08.49, Machado barely wanted to maneuver to sign the son of Not This Time to go. Manny Franco aboard Masqueparade made an early bounce on the far flip to try catching Machado off guard, but it surely had no impact.
“As quickly as I received to him, he simply went on,” Franco mentioned. “He’s a push-button horse.”
Machado stood like a statue as Subsequent poured it on with no mercy to his adoring crowd, streaking to the wire 22 1/4 lengths forward of Masqueparade and stopping the clock in 2:57.83.
“You may’t even say the way it actually feels,” Machado mentioned of his expertise separating from the competitors. “Everyone desires of using a horse like this. I am so grateful that he got here to me, I’m so blessed.”
Cowans was equally appreciative, “This can be a dream come true for me to face right here within the winners’ circle at Saratoga and have a horse that is so unbelievable and the followers cheering for him. It is an additional particular second.”
Requested whether or not Subsequent was drained, Machado smiled and mentioned, “He was very pleased doing this, he is a cheerful horse.”
Followers outdoors the winners’ circle voiced their need to see Subsequent shorten to 1 1/4 miles and tackle the very best within the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Basic (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 2. Cowans was noncommittal to such a transfer with he and proprietor Michael Foster indicating he’ll probably reappear Sept. 21 within the 1 1/2-mile Greenwood Cup (G3) at Parx Racing.
“That was at all times the plan from January 1, the Greenwood Cup, he had a four-race plan” Cowans mentioned. “The horse is a marathon horse.”
Video: Birdstone S. (BT)
