Amo’s Racing’s New York Thunder continued its unbeaten record at the Saratoga Race Course on Friday. The horse showcased incredible speed and skill to secure a 7 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Amsterdam Sprint. The impressive win came in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, marking the horse’s first successful race on a dirt track.

The Nyquist Bay trained under Jorge Delgado and had only competed on Tapeta and turf. The 3-year-old colt made his debut on the dirt track and easily proved he could handle the surface. Interestingly, the victory solidified New York Thunder’s status as a rising star in the sprinting division. The nature of the colt’s victory was more impressive than the win itself.

New York Thunder’s victory stunned everyone

Tyler Gaffalione was the jockey aboard New York Thunder for the horse’s first successful race on a dirt track. Gaffalione expertly guided the colt through the first mark in 21.48 seconds, the second in 43.56, and the third in 1:07.77 seconds. All the while, ‘Drew’s Gold’ was following their tail by a close margin. However, New York Thunder picked up speed and settled a three-length gap between himself and Drew’s Gold. By the time he crossed the finish line in a time of 1:14.65, the gap had increased to  7 1/2 length. New York Thunder also set a record in the six-furlong split with the 1:07.77 time. The previous Saratoga six-furlong record holder was Imperial Hint, ridden by Alfred G. Vanderbilt.

Jorge Delgado spoke to Paulick Report after yesterday’s race saying, “I worry in the mornings because he breezes so fast that it scares you”. The horse has even earned the respect of the competitor with runner-up Martin Garcia, complimenting his speed. Delgado explained that he decided to allow New York Thunder to race on the dirt after the colt displayed good results on the workouts in Keeneland. However, Delgado still felt worried that the horse was not ready for the Graded Stakes.

Jorge Delgado’s reasons for initial reservations

Delgado knew that the horse was fast, but it lacked experience. Having only three successful starts, New York Thunder was unprepared to face Ryvit, the winner of the graded stakes. However, the horse’s owner insisted, and Delgado reluctantly decided to enter New York Thunder in the race. In a twist of fate, Ryvit, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, crashed and fell at the start of the race.

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This was Tyler Gaffalione’s first time riding on New York Thunder. Delgado had immense faith in Gaffalione’s knowledge of horses and knew that he could pull it off. After this great performance from the colt, Delgado is even more confident in his abilities. Next, he will be entering New York Thunder in the Grade 1, $500,000 Allen H. Jerkens Memorial race. The Saratoga Race Course has scheduled this event for August 26. New York Thunder is just getting started, and this recent win takes him another step closer to a promising future.

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