Dr Ardito scores third stakes victory of 2023 in Friday’s Alex M. Robb at Aqueduct. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.
Chad Brown marveled at Dr Ardito’s propensity for finding the winner’s circle this past fall from his barn office on Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma Training Track.
“He knows how to win, that horse,” Brown said, a few days before Dr Ardito didn’t win on a sloppy track in the Parx Dirt Mile and the start of a three-race losing skid.
Dr Ardito returned to his winning ways and ended the schneid just before the end of 2023 Friday with a typically gritty come-from-behind victory over stablemate Aggregation in the $96,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes at Aqueduct. The 5-year-old son of Liam’s Map won the 1-mile Robb by a half-length under Manny Franco, improving to 4-for-9 on the season for Brown and owners Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso.
Sent off as the 8-5 favorite in the field of five, Dr Ardito won in his return to New York-bred stakes company after finishing sixth in the Parx Dirt Mile, second in the Grade 2 Forty Niner Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meet and seventh in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct in his last three starts. Dr Ardito won the Evan Shipman Handicap – also against New York-breds Aug. 11 at Saratoga before that three-race foray into open company.
Franco, aboard for all but one of Dr Ardito’s 13 prior starts, knew what to expect from the field and the 6-5 favorite Aggregation. He rode that Flatter gelding in his last two, both victories in 1-mile events.
“I know that probably I was going to have some pace in front – the other horse for Chad, and I thought Barese going a mile today was going to be on the pace,” Franco said. “That’s what I expected – a good pace in front of me and just come with my run late.
“I know they were going a pretty good pace in front because my horse was there, but then he tucked back a little bit. I knew they were rolling along, so I just bided my time, cut the corner and when I get in the clear, he started running again.”
Dr Ardito raced 6 1/2 lengths back through the opening half-mile, clicked off in a sharp :45.34 by Aggregation.
Aggregation and jockey Kendrick Carmouche still led to the top of the stretch and past 6 furlongs in 1:09.99, with Barese and General Banker chasing in second and third with Dr Ardito still 4 1/2 lengths behind. Aggregation’s 3-length advantage in midstretch looked in serious jeopardy with Dr Ardito closing well on the outside.
Dr Ardito caught his stablemate in the final 50 yards and edged clear to win in 1:36.18 over the muddy and sealed track. Barese finished another 4 1/2 lengths back in third with General Banker fourth and Curlin’s Wisdom fifth.
“He ran his race,” Carmouche said of Aggregation. “I felt I held [Dr Ardito] off pretty good until he got me in the last couple jumps. [Dr Ardito] was the best horse in the race, we just didn’t know if he could catch up with us late, but he did.
“We tried to make every pole a winning pole, but I got pressed early and that caved him in a little. He was very tired and by the time I got to the three-quarter [pole], I knew I was running out of horse. But, he ran awesome and was second best.”
Named for Dubb’s close friend and physician, Dr. Anthony Ardito, Dr Ardito was bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding. He’s out of the winning Indian Charlie mare Delightfully So, who Hertrich purchased for $55,000 as a 3-year-old at the 2013 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.
Dr Ardito is the third foal out of Delightfully So, who is also the dam of winners Delightof The Nile and Navistar and a 2-year-old filly by Audible who sold for $15,000 at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale. Delightfully So is also the dam of a yearling filly by Volatile that sold for $400,000 at this year’s Keeneland September sale and a weanling colt by Liam’s Map born April 10.
Dubb purchased Dr Ardito for $95,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. After a runner-up finish in his debut in February 2021, Dr Ardito won six straight through February including the Haynesfield Stakes at Aqueduct. He later won the Evan Shipman and the Alex M. Robb marked Dr Ardito’s third stakes victory.
Dr Ardito picked up $55,000 for his win Friday and boosted his bankroll to $496,393 from a record of 8-2-0 in 14 starts.
