NEWS » play two striker and two midfielders who are

ELMONT, N.Y. -- When your stablemate is as regally bred as is Rachels Valentina it is easy to get overshadowed. But Off the Tracks no longer needs to take a backseat to any 3-year-old filly in her barn after she recorded a front-running 3-1/2-length victory over Lewis Bay in Saturdays Grade 1, $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park.Meanwhile, Rachels Valentina -- the daughter of 2009 Mother Goose winner Rachels Alexandra -- could only manage a fifth-place finish after stumbling and getting bumped at the start.Off the Tracks, a daughter of Curlin, is now 4 for 6. She joined a select group of fillies to win the Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga at 2 and the Mother Goose at 3. Cicada (1962-63), Meadow Star (1990-91), and Turnback the Alarm (1991-92) are the others.Jose Ortiz rode Off the Tracks to victory. It was his first Grade 1 win of the year and his ninth stakes victory of this meet. He won three races on Saturdays card and his 67 victories at this meet are 20 more than his brother Irad, who won four races on Saturday.Off the Tracks gave trainer Todd Pletcher his fifth Mother Goose victory. He trails only his former boss, D. Wayne Lukas, who has six.Off the Tracks came to Pletcher undefeated in three starts after majority interest in her was purchased by Newtown Anner Stud from J Stables earlier this year. She finished third in the Gulfstream Park Oaks -- her first start around two turns -- before running a good second to Carina Mia in the Grade 1 Acorn here just three weeks ago.I think shes a filly thats always shown big potential, Pletcher said. Everyone was sort of down on her after the Gulfstream Oaks but I actually thought she ran a sneaky good race that day. She was three wide throughout on a track that was playing inside speed and it was muddy. I thought she ran a really good race in the Acorn.Pletcher wasnt convinced how the Mother Goose would be run but he thought there was a decent chance Off the Tracks would be on the lead.Off the Tracks was on the lead, but had to run fractions of 22.79 seconds for the quarter-mile and 45.53 for the half-mile to get there. She was prompted by Moms On Strike.She relaxed good after the first eighth of a mile. She was going pretty fast but she was going relaxed, Ortiz said. When we passed the three-eighths pole she pricked her ears a little bit and that gave me a lot of confidence.Off the Tracks ran six furlongs in 1:09.62 but kept going and though it looked like Lewis Bay might offer a challenge in the stretch that never materialized.Off the Tracks covered the 1-1/16 miles in 1:41.01 and returned $8.10 as the third choice in the seven-horse field.I was a little concerned going as fast as they were but she seemed like she was doing it comfortably, in a good rhythm, Pletcher said. Happy to see her have something left to finish up with.As happy as he was with Off the Tracks, Pletcher was disappointed with Rachels Valentina, last years Grade 1 Spinaway winner who lost her fourth consecutive race. Rachels Valentina stumbled and was bumped by a stumbling Lewis Bay at the break, but neither Pletcher nor jockey John Velazquez used that as an excuse.She got back into a rhythm, she was going well, halfway down the backside I put her in the clear and that was it, she didnt have anything to respond with, Velazquez said. If it was the stumble youd know right away, but she was running well.Lewis Bay also recovered well after her stumble and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said he thought he was in a good spot when she moved into second turning for home.I looked behind me at the quarter pole, everybodys riding and nobody had horse. I said great, said Ortiz. I wait, wait, wait I asked her and she fell apart. She just didnt finish.NFL Jerseys . 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The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes.LONDON -- Tottenham is the Premier Leagues only remaining unbeaten team and yet looks no closer to landing its first title in more than 50 years.Not when it seems content settling for draws -- the fourth in a row coming in Sundays derby against Arsenal.Although Spurs prevented Arsenal going top with the 1-1 draw, they remain three points and a place behind their neighbors in fifth place.If you have some bad moments and you are still unbeaten, you can smile, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said.Having come so close to landing the trophy last season -- before collapsing to finish behind Arsenal and champion Leicester -- Tottenham has been unable to recreate the attacking spark in this campaign.Harry Kane, last seasons top scorer in the league, returned from almost two months out with injury at the Emirates Stadium and provided the equalizer from the penalty spot six minutes into the second half.But that was Kanes major impact -- after Mousa Dembele was tripped by Laurent Koscielny -- during 73 minutes on the field. Match fitness is still lacking after missing ten games while recovering from ligament damage in his right ankle.And Tottenham has failed to score from open play in the last six games while winless in all competitions in seven games.I think we played well at a very difficult place, Pochettino said. Arsenal are on a very good run and have momentum.In an attempt to stifle Arsenal, Pochettino emulated Chelsea manager Antonio Conte by removing a man from defense and going with three at the back.It is important to be flexible, Pochettino said. That is a good step forward for the team to use different systems.Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier played either side of Kevin Wimmer who was handed his firrst league start of the season.ddddddddddddWimmer did make a fine connection with a free kick to head the ball into the net just before halftime. The problem was it was Mesut Ozils delivery and the goal gifted Arsenal the lead.But the new defensive formation did restrict Arsenal to just two shots on goal in a frantic lunchtime kickoff in chilly north London, while Danny Rose and Kyle Walker were a menace going forward operating as wing backs.I think when you have the full backs we have like Rose and Walker ... they can play forward like offensive players, Pochettino said. Today we tried to put them in a better position. That was our idea and to play two striker and two midfielders who are more offensive. We worked hard to prepare the game and I am happy.Only the post prevented Tottenham grabbing three points when Christian Eriksen curled in a free kick that beat goalkeeper Petr Cech.The eleven-match unbeaten run to start the league campaign is Tottenhams longest unbeaten start since last winning the English title in the 1961-62 season. But emulating Arsenals unbeaten 2003-04 Invincibles and ending the Tottenham title drought looks unlikely.Arsenal, which hasnt collected the trophy since 2004, is two points behind leader Liverpool and manager Arsene Wenger saw Sundays draw as two points dropped.There was high intensity where I felt in the first half like we could always score, Wenger said. In the second half we looked a bit more flat physically, less sharp and we couldnt find the creativity around the box.Did we get a little bit a mental blow when they equalized? I dont know. ' ' '