Hieroglyphics’ big move in the final furlong carried the 3-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile to his first stakes win in Monday’s $100,000 Better Talk Now S. at Saratoga.
The bay colt has won three of his last four starts and has finished worse than second only once in seven career turf starts while earning $164,272 for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
The Better Talk Now’s outcome wasn’t decided until very late. Hieroglyphics was fourth after the first half-mile, when he began inching close to the lead. He was boxed in behind horses around the final turn, and it wasn’t until John Velazquez swung him four-wide in mid-stretch that he had clear running.
With a swift turn of foot, he forged to the lead and held off deep closer Small Bear by a neck in 1:33.69 for the mile on the firm turf. The time was less than a half-second off the track record.
“We talked about strategy before the race and we were hoping to just sit off the front,” said Velazquez. “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.”
Eclipse purchased the winner for $450,000 as a 2-year-old at the OBS March Sale. The colt is from the immediate family of Kona Gold, a champion sprinter who won nine graded stakes and nearly $2.3 million.
