SARATOGA SPRINGS – The clichés piled up yesterday at “the graveyard of favorites” when Allen “The Giant Killer” Jerkens upended heavy choice Dream Supreme in the Grade 1, $250,000 Ballerina Handicap with his 4-year-old filly Shine Again, “the longest price in a short field.”
Jerkens, who posted his most famous upset in the 1973 Whitney here when Onion beat Secretariat, said, “It’s been a long time between drinks, but it’s nice.”
Dream Supreme, who races for George Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Stable, has the consistency of Roger Clemens, especially at the Old Spa, where she was 3-for-3 going into the Ballerina, a race she won last summer.
But yesterday her performance was El Duque-like. After laying several lengths back off the blazing early pace (:22, :44.1) set by Imadeed, Dream Supreme moved into contention around the far turn, when suddenly Shine Again shot through to her inside. In deep stretch the 1-2 favorite shortened stride under highweight of 122 pounds, settling for third as Country Hideway came running late for the place, beaten a half-length.
“[Dream Supreme] made a good run off the turn and had every opportunity from there to the wire,” jockey Pat Day said.
Shine Again ran the seven furlongs in 1:22.1 to pay $44.20, topping a $169.50 exacta.