Pioneerof the Nile Colt Takes Better Talk Now

Hieroglyphics | Justina Severni

BETTER TALK NOW S., $100,000, SAR, 8-28, (C), 3yo, 1mT, 1:33.69, fm.
1–#HIEROGLYPHICS, 118, c, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
1st Dam: Double Lime, by Limehouse
2nd Dam: Kona Kat, by Mountain Cat
3rd Dam: Double Sunrise, by Slew o' Gold
($70,000 Wlg '14 KEENOV; $450,000 2yo '16 OBSMAR).
O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Anthony Guida (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $60,000. Lifetime
Record: 8-3-3-0, $164,272.
2–Small Bear, 120, g, 3, Macho Uno–Stella Prima, by El Prado
(Ire). ($45,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $80,000 2yo '16 OBSAPR).
O-August Dawn Farm; B-Martin Lake & Serendipity Farm (KY);
T-Jeremiah C. Englehart. $20,000.
3–Snap Decision, 118, c, 3, Hard Spun–Salute, by Unbridled.
O/B-Phipps Stable (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $10,000.
Margins: NK, HF, 3/4. Odds: 7.70, 11.10, 2.80.
Also Ran: Holiday Stone, Blind Ambition, Adonis Creed. Scratched: Aquamarine.

Hieroglyphics took over in the final sixteenth and held on late to upset the Monday featured Better Talk Now S. at Saratoga.

A fifth-out winner May 27 at Gulfstream, the $450,000 OBS March buy captured a course-and-distance allowance July 29 and was let go as the fourth choice in this stakes debut. Tracking the pace while saving ground from fourth through splits of :23.28 and :47.13, the bay split horses at the three-sixteenths marker and surged past dueling leaders a furlong after that. Small Bear launched a bold bid from last to make it close, but Hieroglyphics found the wire first by a long neck.

“He's one of those colts who took a little while to put everything together,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “We could see in the winter and the spring he was gradually getting better and better. It felt like his last two races were a step forward, and he took another step forward today.”

Victorious pilot John Velazquez added, “We talked about strategy before the race and we were hoping to just sit off the front. When it unfolded at the break, I was able to do just that and get towards the rail, which was perfect. I got to bide my time there and make sure they saw me behind the other horses. When I tipped him out, he was electric and full of run. It played out perfect. We couldn't plan it any better. It's just the way we wanted things to happen.”

The winner is the first foal out of an unraced dam whose subsequent produce is a juvenile colt by Majesticperfection and a yearling To Honor and Serve colt. Second dam Kona Kat is a half to champion sprinter Kona Gold (Java Gold). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.

Copy Article Link

X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.