Jenny Barnett

Southern Equine Stables’ 10/1 shot Moreno went gate-to-wire in the nine-furlong $1.5 million Grade 1 Whitney Invitational Handicap at Saratoga in New York last Saturday. The four-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper easily held off Itsmyluckyday and Will Take Charge to finish a length and a quarter clear for jockey Junior Alvarado.

Palice Malice, the 3/5 favourite in the field of nine older horses, came up empty in the drive and finished sixth.

Moreno was clear at all points, while 2012 Travers winner Golden Ticket and Palace Malice, on the outside, gave chase. Itsmyluckyday was also forwardly placed behind but, as the field turned for home, it became clear that the closers were not going to get to Moreno.

“As soon as I turned for home (I knew I was going to win),” Alvarado said. “Even before I hit it, switching leads to the right, he took two big jumps. I said, ‘I don’t think there is a way anyone can pass me.’”

Moreno was named after Mike Moreno, Guillot’s partner in Southern Equine Stables. “It means (so much for) my partner and best friend, Mike, who always believed in me from day one and still does today,” Guillot said. “I’m getting emotional. For him and I, this is what we do. It’s why he goes to work in business. It’s why I get up at 4.30 (am) seven days a week. We never doubted each other. Ever. Not one time.”

Four-year-old Moreno earned an automatic berth in the field for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 1st as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge ‘Win and You’re In’ series.

SWEET PASSES TEST

On the same card Sweet Reason registered her third lifetime Grade 1 victory when she came from well off the pace to capture the $500,000 Longines Test Stakes.

Irad Ortiz Jr brought the daughter of Street Sense wide through the drive to win by one length over outsider Miss Behaviour, scoring for Treadway Racing Stable and trainer Leah Gyarmati.

Sweet Reason, who was coming off a victory in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park and won the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes last summer at Saratoga, was the 2/1 choice in the field of 10 three-year-old fillies.

Sweet Reason, now undefeated in three starts at Saratoga, completed the seven-furlong Test in 1m 22.31secs on a fast track. Miss Behaviour edged the fast-closing Little Alexis for second by a nose, with pacesetter Fiftyshadesofgold another nose back in fourth.

Gyarmati was thrilled by the effort from Sweet Reason, who surpassed $1 million in career earnings with the victory. “This seemed like the perfect spot for her - she loves Saratoga, she’s shown she likes seven-eighths (of a mile), her one-turn mile (in the Acorn) at Belmont was great, she came out of that race great, so this was the logical spot,” Gyarmati said of Sweet Reason.

“I was very excited about running her here. It came up a very salty field with some really nice fillies in the race, so this was probably her biggest test yet, in my opinion. She was doing really well, though, so win, lose, or draw, I felt I’d done everything I could and she was as good as I could get her. I went in feeling good about the race.”

“She was perfect,” Ortiz said of the winner. “She broke from behind, relaxed and when I asked her to go, she just took off.”

Miss Behaviour turned in a game second at odds of 15/1 with Javier Castellano aboard.