Scuttlebuzz extends streak in Elusive Quality

Rudy Rodriguez made an equipment change last fall, hoping it would do the trick and put Scuttlebuzz on the path to more success.

The move paid off in a big way, first when the gelding by The Factor won a 6-furlong state-bred turf allowance-optional last September and again Saturday when he upset open company in the $100,000 Elusive Quality Stakes at Belmont Park.

“You can see he’s a little more comfortable in the morning with the extension blinker when he’s breezing,” said Rodriguez, who trains Scuttlebuzz for owner La Marca Stable. “I use the same extension blinker in the afternoon and it keeps him from drifting and losing his momentum. By covering it up, it keeps him straight.”

Scuttlebuzz stayed straight through the stretch in the 7-furlong Elusive Qualify, picking off tiring foes to win by a length over Therapist and give New York-breds a 1-2 finish in the second stakes of the Belmont spring-summer meeting. Javier Castellano rode Scuttlebuzz to victory in 1:21.45 over the firm Widener Turf Course.

“I really liked the way he did it,” Castellano said. “I knew there was a lot of pace in the race and he’s usually the type of horse who likes to come from behind. We make a great combination. I get along with the horse and I rode him last time and won on him.

“Today, I took my time and had a lot of patience to come from behind horses. It was a good run and Rudy did a great job and gave me the opportunity. It was better horses today and he stepped up in class. He showed up today.”

Scuttlebuzz improved to 4-for-5 since the addition extension blinker in September and 7-for-17 overall with $348,570 in earnings.

A $160,000 purchase at the 2019 OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training, Scuttlebuzz joined Rodriguez’s string last April after being claimed for $30,000.

Bred by Lawrence Goichman and a half-brother to stakes winner and the multiple graded-stakes placed Runaway Rumour, Scuttlebuzz won the Elusive Quality in his 2022 debut. He added the stakes to back-to-back victories to end his 2021 campaign in open allowance and allowance-optional events going 6 furlongs on the grass at Aqueduct.

“We were looking for a race for him at Aqueduct and it was a little quick back for us,” Rodriguez said of picking the Elusive Quality for Scuttlebuzz’s comeback. “This was the only race I saw for us. I’m not sure about going to a longer race now. We’ll keep him short.”

Scuttlebuzz is the second foal out of the stakes-placed Elusive Quality mare Elusive Rumour. When he sold as Hip 1200[2] at the 2019 OBS April sale his older 3-year-old half-sister Myhartblongstodaddy as a winner as a 3-year-old in 2018. The pedigree continues to improve thanks to Myhartblongstodaddy, now a multiple stakes winner and earner of $442,966; and Runaway Rumour, an earner of $257,250 with a stakes win and three stakes placings.

Elusive Rumour is also the dam of the 3-year-old New York-bred More Than Ready filly Ripe for Mischief, a $75,000 purchase at last year’s OBS April sale, and the 2-year-old New York-bred Oscar Performance colt Lachaise. Elusive Rumour is also the dam of a New York-bred yearling filly by Oscar Performance and she was bred to Authentic last season.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/04/30/scuttlebuzz-extends-streak-in-elusive-quality/

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