OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Rob Atras had high expectations for Neat coming into Saturday’s Grade 3, $242,500 Manila Stakes and the 3-year-old colt delivered, utilizing a strong kick in the final furlong to record a three-quarter length victory over Deterministic in the one-mile turf stakes at Aqueduct. The victory was the fifth from seven starts on turf for Neat, and it enabled Atras and the rest of his connections to put in the rearview mirror Neat’s seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 5. Atras didn’t have a plausible excuse for the effort, though he deduced he may have run him back too quick off a big effort winning the Grade 3 Transylvania Keeneland in April. Neat had two months coming into the Manila. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports Neat, under Junior Alvarado broke on the lead Saturday as the expected pacesetter, Drunk On Sake, was leaning back when the gates opened and was away last. Jockey Silvestre Gonzalez rushed Drunk On Sake to the lead, giving Neat and Alvarado a target. Neat sat second and stalked Drunk On Sake to the top of the stretch and was three wide turning for home. Manny Franco rallied Move to Gold – the second choice by $325 over Neat – through an opening along the rail, but when Neat switched leads above the eighth pole, he kicked away from Move to Gold and had more than enough to keep Deterministic at bay. Deterministic, in his turf debut, finished second by 2 1/2 lengths over Move to Gold. Please Advise and Drunk On Sake completed the order of finish. Mattingly scratched. “We were expecting this, for him to run a big race, but you like to see it,” Atras said. “We were really hoping for this effort.” Alvarado was riding Neat for the first time and his main concern, after watching videos of the colt’s races, was to make sure he was not headstrong early on. “With him, we were trying to make sure he didn’t fight too much because I know in a couple of his races he got a little keen and then he wants to throw his head,” Alvarado said. “I just wanted him to get into a nice, comfortable rhythm and he did that for me. From the quarter pole to the wire, I asked him for run run and he was all out for me.” Neat, owned by Red, White, and Blue Racing, covered the mile in 1:36.27 over a firm inner turf course and returned $6.40 to win. “Manny cut the corner and the race was on,” Atras said. “But luckily he had a really good turn of foot today and Junior had horse. Deterministic came with a late run – he was coming – I’m glad the wire got there in time. I thought we ran awesome. … We beat good horses today, it’s nice to do that.” Atras would not commit to a next start but a race like the Grade 2, $500,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes on Aug. 2 at Saratoga could make sense. Deterministic, the 9-5 favorite, ran a little spotty, according to jockey Dylan Davis. “Into the second turn they jumped away from him and immediately I had to get into him to get him going,” Davis said. “He doesn’t have a really big turn of foot. Down the lane, once I started getting into him, he was swapping leads a few times so he’s just not 100 percent focused. But he still ran a great race. I thought he handled the turf and based on the gallop-out I think that maybe he would handle some more ground.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.