Keith McCalmont

At Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, the $500,000 Fifth Avenue portion of the New York Stallion Stakes Series at seven furlongs was secured by Tristar Farm’s Braverthanubelieve after a strong late push from Hall of Famer Joel Rosario. As an example of the conditions, the event is restricted to New York-sired 2-year-old fillies.

Under the guidance of John Ortiz, the Honest Mischief dark bay kept an unblemished two-for-two slate. In the last sixteenth, Daniella Marie and Hot Currency were passed as she completed a stakes bow by one and one-quarter lengths, akin to a late-kick example you see in many sprints.

During the previous year, progeny of Honest Mischief swept both lucrative $500,000 NYSSS contests—Stone Smuggler took the Fifth Avenue and Sacrosanct captured the Great White Way. Think of it as a sire streak continuing across divisions.

Although she had only graduated here on November 22 in a six-furlong dash limited to New York-bred fillies, Ortiz told owner Glenn Lostritto that Braverthanubelieve was primed to keep that momentum while stepping straight into stakes company. That sort of confidence mirrors, for instance, a barn circling a date weeks out.

Ortiz framed his view this way: he held her in very high regard, pointed to sharp morning drills, and laid out a plan to run in the maiden first—no matter win, loss, or draw—and then come right back for this spot; he described the execution as deliberate and tidy. As a small illustration, the target was penciled in and then followed.

From the outset at Saratoga, they felt she was more than a typical state-bred after a standout breeze, Ortiz added, though an illness intervened; time off was given, the return was managed carefully, and she resumed like nothing had been missed. For example, her training rhythm clicked straight away.

Fancy Lights sprang from the gate and carved out splits of 22.56 and 45.71 on a fast surface, with Hot Currency applying heat and Daniella Marie shadowing to the outside. Picture a leader setting the table while rivals stalk a length off.

After sitting fourth, Braverthanubelieve was angled out late on the bend and unleashed a wide rally as Hot Currency and Daniella Marie inherited the lead from a tiring Fancy Lights. Through the lane, those two fought in tandem and Hot Currency edged clear within the last furlong, yet the sustained run from Braverthanubelieve proved decisive when she took over inside the final sixteenth and stopped the timer in 1:23.92. Think of the move as a classic outside sweep into a contested pace scenario.

Rosario reported he felt at ease throughout aboard Braverthanubelieve. As another example, he never sensed she was out of rhythm.

He explained that she traveled smoothly, that he waited for the moment to ask, and that some rivals kept pressing ahead while he had to nudge her; even so, he believed he always had horse and the effort was big. It reads like a patient ride turning assertive late.

Rosario also noted that the tempo suited them and his position was favorable; when the cue came, he hoped for a response—and she answered. In simple terms, the setup played to her strengths.

We then saw Daniella Marie finish third, another three and one-quarter lengths back, with Unmiztaken, Fancy Lights, Lifeisbutadream, Kaz Farm Girl, Greyjoy, Oh and Galileans Girl completing the order. Hip Hop Dancer, Honest Reason and She’s Country were withdrawn as scratches. For clarity, the margin listed is the official gap to the show horse.

Jockey Flavien Prat remarked that Hot Currency, trained by Linda Rice, fought on bravely while turning away the Chad Summers-trainee Daniella Marie. In other words, the runner-up did not yield easily.

He added that the winner’s late surge caught them, but his mount performed admirably. A straightforward assessment, typical of post-race debriefs.

Braverthanubelieve, produced from the winning Teuflesberg mare Hundred Acre Wood, had previously debuted here on sloppy, sealed footing and won prominently by a half-length, earning a 67 Beyer Speed Figure. Think of it as a confidence-building start on a wet track.

Bred in New York by Paul Michael Giacopelli MD, Braverthanubelieve collected $275,000 for the victory and improved the ledger to 2-2-0-0. A $2 win ticket returned $18.18, an example of value often discussed in handicapping.

Sunday at the Big A will feature eight races, highlighted by the Grade 3, $200,000 Comely in Race 7 and the $150,000 Garland of Roses in Race 6, with first post set for 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will air live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet on FOX Sports channels; consult the broadcast schedule and channel finder for details.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack and the preferred way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available nationwide, the NYRA Bets app can be downloaded on iOS and Android via the NYRA Bets website, supporting secure pari-mutuel wagering.