SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Ricky Hendriks saddled Little Trilby (GB)  to win the $75,000, 2 3/8 mile Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes at Saratoga on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

Little Trilby, running second to last early in the race (Photo by Tod Marks)Del Rio's Litlle Trilby, ridden by Conor Tierney, won by 12 1/4 lengths in 4:40.29 over Travesuras, trained by Cyril Murphy, with the favorite Roja Redemption another 7 lengths back in third.

Carloun went into the lead from the flag drop but pecked badly losing his rider, giving the lead to Roja Redemption,, who led through the back side and over the last fence.

Litlle Tilby was racing near the back of the seven horse field, moving forward through the backstretch and moved into contention after the last fence.

He caught Roja Redemption on the final turn and went into the lead at the top of the stretch,extending his lead to win easily by 12 1/4 lengths.

This was Little Trlby's second win since being imported last August.

He won the Holiday Stakes in Aiken last November, then finished second in the Carolina Cup Hurdle Stakes in Camden in March.

 

IN THE Green Pastures Stakes in May, he led but tired and was pulled up, and in the G1 Beverly Stenman he led far a time last in the race but tired again and finished fifth.

"We breezed him on the Tapeta track at Fair Hill before the race," said Hendriks. "We do that most of the time. We did our best to set him up for this race.""

"And we changed tactics in this race," he said. "In most races he'd gone to the lead. We thought this race would e a good time to try different tactics. We figured Carloun would go to the lead."

The new tactics certainly worked for Little Trilby, as he won easily by a big margin.

"We bought him a year ago," said Hendriks. "A friend in Ireland called me and said he'd won two races there and he thought he'd do well for us."

"We bought him to race at Saratoga in this race last year, but he had a bad fence and dropped back." said Hendriks. "He's a nice, very straight forward horse."

"Maybe we'll run hm next at Belmont (in the G1 Lonesome Glory) or wait for the novice race at Far Hills." he said.