The last time Godolphin won a graded stakes race for 2-year-olds in New York was in 2019, when Lake Avenue (Tapit ) won the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack, and according to Equibase statistics dating back to 2000, the international racing and breeding organization had never won a grade 1 for juveniles at Saratoga Race Course, at least until homebred Immersive got up in the final strides to win the $300,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) Aug. 31.
“We’re just delighted to get a big one here at Saratoga,” said Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA’s director of bloodstock.
Ridden by Manuel Franco, Immersive broke from post 1 on a track that had been downgraded to muddy (sealed) after a heavy rain hit Saratoga late in the afternoon. Franco kept her back off the early leaders up the backstretch of the seven-furlong Spinaway, with a pack of fillies to her front and to her rear, mostly in the clear.
Franco swung her off the rail and wide coming around the final turn and gave chase to favored Quietside , her long strides propelling her to the wire 1 1/4 lengths in front. Quietside was second, and Sherbini ran third by four lengths, followed across the finish line by Strong State , The Queens M G , Reliable Source , Pondering , Salted , Tiz Purple , and Bellacose . Slang was pulled up on the backstretch and left the race in an equine ambulance.
The Queens M G was expected to be the post-time favorite off two multi-length wins at Saratoga this summer, including a nine-length romp in the Adirondack Stakes (G3) Aug 4. Runner-up Quietside just edged her at the windows, gaining favored status late in the betting.
Immersive paid $27.40 and stopped the timer in 1:25.31.
“The (wet) surface was probably an unknown for all of them,” said Banahan, “so you go out there and hope for the best. We were a bit disappointed in drawing the one hole and then the rain, but you go out there and hope for the best. Manny gave her a great ride.”
Trained by Brad Cox, Immersive is out of the Bernardini mare Gap Year and by Nyquist , who stood the 2024 season at Darley near Lexington for $85,000.
“Nyquist is one of our best young stallions,” Banahan said, “And Gap Year was a good race mare. We also felt that she had the potential to be a graded winner. The combination of Bernardini and Nyquist/Uncle Mo has gone down really well, and we’ve always liked this filly. Those bloodlines are a good mix.”
Nyquist is the sire of three millionaires and has produced 14 graded stakes winners, including multiple grade 1 winners Randomized and Vequist , the latter of which won the Spinaway in 2020, and multiple graded stakes winner Slow Down Andy .
As part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series, the Spinaway offers $30,000 to the winner, $15,000 to the runner-up, and $7,500 to the third-place finisher to apply toward entry fees for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
“You’d hope that that’s where we’ll go,” said Banahan. “We’ll see how she comes out and what Brad thinks, and whether we need to go again, in the Alcibiades (Oct. 4) at Keeneland. We might stretch her out a little more to see if that’s what she wants to do, but today is evidence that that’s what we think she’d like to do.”
IMMERSIVE, the 2YO daughter of @DarleyAmerica stallion Nyquist, pulls off an upset at 12-1 to win the G1 Spinaway Stakes! This marks @jockeyfranco’s 3rd win of the day and another G1 victory for trainer @bradcoxracing. pic.twitter.com/gSe3JaQiTS
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 31, 2024
