Zany rules Demoiselle, Pletcher earns 10th win

A smashing debut winner, Repole Stable’s Zany impressively passed her first stakes in Saturday’s $250,000 Demoiselle (G2) at Aqueduct, rolling to an 8 1/2-length decision. The daughter of American Pharoah tracked pacesetter Shilling until the completion of the far turn and drew off authoritatively in the stretch, providing Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher with a record-extending 10th victory in the 1 1/8-mile event for two-year-old fillies.

Irad Ortiz Jr. picked up the assignment and Zany stopped the teletimer in 1:50.55, recording a faster final time than her male counterpart, Remsen (G2) winner Paladin (1:50.97), later on the program.

“She did it the right way, every step of the way,” Ortiz Jr. said. “She broke good and put me in a beautiful spot. I let her do what she wanted to do, and she just held her ground and stayed steady until I asked her to go. Honestly, she was doing it pretty easy. She made the lead and was looking around a little bit, but it was impressive the way she did it today.”

The chestnut stretched to two turns in her second start, breaking her maiden over 6 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Park in early November, and Zany picked up 10 points taking the Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier.

“It went like we hoped it would,” Pletcher said. “She trained very impressively, but you are always concerned making one start at 6 1/2 (furlongs) and stretching out to a mile and an eighth in only her second start. I thought her last breeze before we decided to ship her was pretty impressive, so it seemed like the right thing to do.”

Purchased for $350,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, Zany was bred in Kentucky by DJ Stables (Len and Jon Green). She’s the first stakes winner out of the Uncle Mo mare Mo’ Green, who captured the 1 1/8-mile Top Flight (G3) in 2017, and Zany appears equipped to thrive at longer distances as a three-year-old.

 “Just the way she galloped out, and the way she’s always trained, in particular the work before she shipped up here,” Pletcher said about trying Saturday’s added ground. “She galloped out like she was wanting more ground.”

Ortiz Jr. echoed Pletcher’s sentiments.

“He (Pletcher) told me she acts like a nice filly, so ride her like a good one and that’s what I did,” Ortiz added. “She was ready.”

The Demoiselle awarded points on a 5-3-2-1 scale to second-through-fifth, and Delaware Park sprint stakes winner Jumping the Gun, the 8-1 fifth choice among six runners, got up late for second, edging last-out maiden scorer and 4-1 second choice Concurrently by a neck. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to Tempted winner Shilling in fourth. Believable came next in fifth and Ivy Girl trailed.

Pletcher’s previous Demoiselle winners include champions Ashado, Malathaat, and Nest, as well as Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Stopchargingmaria, and he was asked Zany’s potential to stand out in the future.

 “Man, I hope so. Malathaat, Nest, some of those that were able to go on and have great careers afterwards. It’s been a race for us that has not only been lucky on the day, but it’s produced some horses have gone on and done very well.

“We’ll ship her back in a few days to Palm Beach Downs, and we’ll come up with a game plan (for next year).”