Blue Heaven Farm’s Kentucky homebred GO FOR LAUNCH saved ground and rocketed to victory in Wednesday’s Listed $200,000 Bolton Landing, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for juvenile fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by KEVIN ATTARD, Go for Launch became the first stakes winner for first-crop sire Flightline. The bay boasts a strong pedigree as a daughter of the Indy Wind mare Starship Jubilee, who campaigned for these same connections and was named Canada’s 2019 Horse of the Year and a three-time Sovereign Award winner as Champion Turf Female from 2017-19. Starship Jubilee won the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Ballston Spa in 2020 here.
“It’s very special. We trained the mother, who was very nice,” said Joshua Attard, son of and assistant to Kevin. “Go for Launch showed talent from the get-go. I think she’ll get better with more distance as well. It’s special to have a foal out of Starship Jubilee, especially by the great Flightline.”
Jockey Pietro Moran, the reigning Eclipse Award Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, came to the Spa to ride Go for Launch after piloting the filly to a pacesetting five-furlong debut victory on July 25 at his Woodbine Racetrack base.
“It’s just amazing,” said Moran, who earned his first Saratoga win. “Saratoga is the best, and just to win a race here is unbelievable. Very excited.”
Go for Launch exited post 2 alertly and was bumped by the favored Side Quest before settling into a ground-saving third position, 1 1/2 lengths behind the pacesetting Allura through the opening quarter-mile in 22.11 seconds over the firm turf.
“She was really [sharp] today but when she broke, I just let her be,” Moran said. “There was a lot of speed on paper. Once the horse got in front of her, she covered up nice and relaxed.”
Go for Launch continued along the inside through the turn before tipping out with her sights set on the Flavien Prat-piloted Allura as they straightened for home. After the half-mile in 45.28, Go for Launch had clear racing room and drew alongside Allura, who had no answer for her rival’s turn of foot.
“She’s always been a keen, very forward type of filly. For her to be able to settle today was huge, and she didn’t mind it at all,” Moran explained. “When I asked her, she kicked on pretty good.”
The 10-1 Go for Launch swept past en route to a 2 1/4-length victory over fellow longshot Allura in a final time of 1:02.45.
“I was sitting in behind and not fighting her or trying to keep her up there, she did everything on her own,” Moran said. “I was very happy, and when I chirped at her, she quickened right away. She bullied her way out and she ran on hard.”
Extravaganzoo rallied for third, another half-length back, with Lexi’s Charm completing the superfecta. More Champagne, Side Quest, Army Salute and Shining Moment rounded out the order of finish.
Luminous Beauty, entered in Sunday’s Untapable at Kentucky Downs, was scratched along with also-eligibles Legacy Lady and Tiz Candy. Legacy Lady is entered in Thursday’s Skidmore here, while Tiz Candy is entered in Saturday’s Sorority at Monmouth Park.
“A lot of improvement,” Joshua Attard said of Go for Launch. “Her first race, she was on the lead, showing wire-to-wire. Today, I liked that she settled nicely and made a nice run and it’s always good that she’s not a one-dimensional horse, she can come from off the pace.”
The two-time Sovereign Award-winning Kevin Attard is planning to have a larger presence in New York this winter with an eye towards the Empire Trillium Series, a 14-race program of stakes races restricted to horses foaled in New York or Canada worth $3.2 million in total purses. 12 of the 14 races are to be contested on Tapeta.
“Obviously, my dad wants to come to Belmont. We have the Tapeta track at Woodbine, and we’re all used to that,” said the younger Attard. “We’re going to send a string down there, especially with the Trillium series. We’re looking forward to coming there in the wintertime.”
Go for Launch banked $110,000 in victory while returning $22.06 for a $2 win bet.
*The diminutive Go for Launch is the third foal of champion Starship Jubilee. Her first, Starship d’Oro, has won 2 of 22 races and her 4-year-old, Star Attraction, has a win at Woodbine from six starts.
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