Coach Rob Atras may be a die-hard New York Yankees fan.
Rarely seen on the track without his familiar Yankees cap, Atras stepped into the save cage during the Yankees’ recent slump and sported a new TravisMathew cap that had nothing to do with baseball.
Suddenly, the Yankees won five games in a row.
“But my horse started losing,” said Atras.
So for the National Horseracing Museum’s Hall of Fame (G2T) Derby on August 2, Atras had to choose between helping the Yankees or Succinct his starter in the $500,000 3-year-old filly race.
He decided not to bring bad luck to the Yankees and wore a TravisMathew hat.
Fortunately, Atras put Aaron Judge’s version of the horse into the race and Red White and Blue Racing’s Neat once again broke through, finishing from sixth in the eight to win the Hall of Fame title by a neck in a tense three-horse battle to the finish at Saratoga Race Track.
“We’re here at Saratoga and all the owners are coming,” Atras said. “He’s a great colt and he’s won a lot of awards but this is the top award. Winning at Saratoga means a lot.”
The mile test win was the son’s sixth in nine career starts. Structure who added Grade 2 laurels to a resume that already includes a pair of Grade 3 wins, topped by a victory in the June 29 Manila Stakes (G3T) in his last start.
“He doesn’t have 100 (Beyer Speed Figures) but he’s always showing up,” Atras said. “I think he’s improving. I think mentally he’s getting better. He seems more focused in every race and runs more professionally.”
Neat usually races close to the pace but he wasn’t quick to get away and rider Junior Alvarado decided to bide his time as they finished sixth after half a mile in :49.38 on the hard turf.
“They definitely went further back than expected but he and Junior had a plan. Junior said he wasn’t being aggressive but he was relaxed and felt like he had a lot of power,” Atras said. “He let him relax and then he made a nice kick.”
Long shot Barksdale Set the early pace in the Hall of Fame as a 2-1 favorite Army officer chasing in second place. But despite a close split, they fell back in the final stages and finished eighth and seventh respectively.
In front is HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud Lagynos trained to move forward under stress only to be challenged by the mare Buttercream Girl who was closing in on her at a distance of four meters, and Neat, who was rushing out from behind her.
All three rushed into the line with Neat winning over Lagynos, son of Kantharos trained by Steve Asmussen. Buttercream Babe, daughter of Candy spinner trained by Mike Maker, finished a neck clear in third place.
“I like that kind of fighting,” said Atras.
Neat ($9), the 7-2 second choice, had a time of 1:36.38.
“I love this horse,” Alvarado said. “He’s the kind of horse I like. You can feel he has the fire to win.”
Bred by Hidden Brook Farm and Spruce Lane Farm, Neat is a half-brother to the winning horse Bigger than a bomb and is the fifth of seven foals by the mare More Than Ready Orabella and one of her four winners. She also has a yearling colt Gold medal mare.
Neat, a horse that earned $765,630, was purchased for $200,000 from Lisa and Tim Turney’s consignment at the Keeneland September 2022 Yearling Horse Market.
Videotapes: S. National Horse Racing Hall of Fame (G2T)
