Magalen O. Bryant’s Plated moved into contention on Saratoga Race Course’s final turn, took the lead before the last fence, and pulled away to a 1 1/2-length victory in Monday’s $65,000 allowance hurdle.
Ballybristol Farm’s Andi’amu, making his first U.S. start, finished second, 5 1/4 lengths clear of Dogwood Stable’s Street Fight. Trained by Jimmy Day and ridden by Sean McDermott, Plated went off as the 2.60-to-1 favorite and ran the 2 1/16-mile distance in 3:49.57 on firm turf.
Armata Stable’s Verne jumped out to a big early lead under Ross Geraghty but lost ground over the fifth fence and surrendered the lead to Street Fight and jockey Willie McCarthy, with Irv Naylor’s Tubal keeping pace in second.
McDermott moved Plated into the top three after the next to last fence and took over from Street Fight before the last hurdle. Andi’amu make a strong bid under Paddy Young in early stretch and was only a head behind Plated at the last, but Plated drew clear to seal the victory in the final sixteenth.
Bred by Overbrook Farm, six-year-old Plated scored his first victory of the year. In his previous start over fences, the Tiznow gelding had finished third in a Ratings Handicap at Fair Hill, Md., on May 23.