So Many Ways moves past Teen Pauline
So Many Ways completed the Schuylerville-Spinaway double Sunday with a convincing victory over heavily favored Teen Pauline.
Just over six weeks after she opened the Saratoga season with a 1 1/2-length win in the Grade 3 Schuylerville, Maggi Moss' added the prestigious Spinaway to her burgeoning resume and improved to 3-0.
It was a pretty simple scenario: Teen Pauline and Corail went out fast, setting fractions of 22.29 and 45.13. After biding her time a couple of lengths off the pace under Javier Castellano, So Many Ways moved up to challenge. She battled with the tiring Teen Pauline - who had set a track record on July 25 - and moved off to a 2 1/2-length victory.
Sweet Shirley Mae came on to finish second, two lengths ahead of Teen Pauline.
So Many Ways, trained by Tony Dutrow, completed the seven furlongs on 1:23.74 and paid $9.80. Dutrow won the 2011 Spinaway with Grace Hall.
"This filly came to Saratoga an infant and just as the weeks went by you could see her turning, putting on weight, growing, maturing," Dutrow said. "I didn’t know where we would finish today, but I was thinking we’d run better than we did in the Schuylerville."
Dutrow said he was optimistic that his filly could make the jump from a Grade 3 to a Grade 1.
“I was really feeling very strongly that she would improve off of that today," he said. "I didn’t know if that was going to be good enough because I didn’t know how good and talented Asmussen’s filly [Teen Pauline] was. I knew she was talented, but I didn’t know how good.
"I’m not surprised, but I sure am happy. She came out of there with running on her mind. Todd [Pletcher’s Corail] pushed Asmussen, and our filly picked up the pieces. I think I said in the paper that our filly would finish up. We’ve won it two years in a row now, and I can’t believe where I’m standing.”
Castellano said he had a beautiful trip.
"She’s pretty quick out of the gate, and she settled beautiful behind the two horses," Castellano said. "Those two pace-makers, they helped to set up my race. But I think if it wasn’t that way, no matter what, she was going to be in the bridle today and she was going to be close to the pace and give me the kick the way she did today.”
The veteran rider said So Many Ways has a good upside.
“I love my filly," he said. "She’s been training phenomenal, and the last time I rode her, she was very impressive. I think she’s going to be really good. She’s got a long, beautiful stride. I can’t wait to stretch her out a little bit. I think she can go farther, and I have a lot of confidence with her.”
Trainer Steve Asmussen said Teen Pauline struggled with the conditions.
“I think how heavy the track played today [was a factor]," he said. "They closed like crazy. It was a completely different track than the one she broke her maiden on.”