Fierce Wind blows through Davis
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Starlight Stables et al's WHY TONTO (Indian Charlie) wasn't given the same respect as his highly touted stablemate Cowboy Cal (Giant's Causeway) in Saturday's $77,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes, but the Todd Pletcher trainee outgamed the 1-2 favorite to score by 1 1/2 lengths on the line.
Tracking in second along the rail behind Cowboy Cal, who was setting splits of :22 4/5, :46 and 1:09 3/5, Why Tonto moved up to challenge the leader leaving the far turn. With Edgar Prado in the pilot's seat, the sophomore easily pulled clear, eventually finishing 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf in 1:40 1/5.
Sent off the 5-1 third pick in the nine-horse field, Why Tonto rewarded his backers with payouts of $13.40, $4.20 and $2.80. He was second to Cowboy Cal in the grassy Tropical Park Derby (G3) prior to this one and also owns a runner-up finish in the Grand Canyon H., which ended his juvenile season. The bay colt was well beaten in his first two starts, and didn't begin to blossom until switched to the turf in his third career start, which turned out to be a victory in the World Appeal S. at Meadowlands. With the winner's share from Saturday's victory, Why Tonto now shows $131,893 in earnings to go along with his 8-3-2-0 mark.
Cowboy Cal was easily second best in the Hallandale Beach, paying $2.40 and $2.10 while ending the $12.40 exacta ($1). It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Cannonball (Catienus), who captured the King Cugat S. over Why Tonto in late October. Show was worth $3 at 7-2 while finishing the $24.80 trifecta ($1). Closing Number (Mecke), another 1 1/2 lengths back in fourth, concluded the 3-1-4-5 superfecta ($1) that returned $221.70. Completing the order of finish were Gibber's Gold (Hose Chestnut [SAf]), Victory Cafe (Victory Gallop), Horse Doctor (Horse Chestnut [SAf]), Dulansky (Deputy Wild Cat), and Caberneigh (E Dubai). Run Sully Run (Cherokee Run), Chitoz (Forest Wildcat) and Moral Compass (Grand Slam) were all scratched.
Bred in Kentucky by T.F. Van Meter and L.B. Van Meter, Why Tonto is out of the winning Why So Much (Northern Baby) and counts three-time stakes victress Pretty Meadow (Meadowlake) and stakes heroine Because I'm Gold (Miswaki) as half-siblings. The colt comes from the same family as 1979 champion two-year-old colt Rockhill Native (Our Native), and brought $160,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2006.
Robert Zollars and Mark Wagner's PONI COLADA (Volponi) came charging from last and galloped to an eight-length triumph in the $100,000 Borderland Derby at Sunland Park on Saturday. Jockey Alfredo Juarez Jr. allowed the Steve Asmussen sophomore to find his stride while unhurried early. At the head of affairs, Mr. Golden Ruler (Tribal Rule) sprinted away from the field and built up a huge lead through rapid fractions. The pacesetter was thoroughly exhausted leaving the far turn, but Poni Colada was gathering plenty of steam, and he inhaled Mr. Golden Ruler in a few jumps. The farther Poni Colada went, the farther ahead he surged, ultimately crossing the wire in a final time of 1:47 for 1 1/16 miles on the fast track. Cape Time (Cape Canaveral) checked in second, with Santa Anita shipper No Jepordy (Storm Boot) third. Poni Colada has compiled a 7-3-1-0 record, which reflects a score in the Eddy County S. at Zia Park, to go along with $123,366 in earnings. The blaze-faced chestnut has been well beaten in his three stakes attempts outside New Mexico, including a sixth-place finish in the Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn Park in his prior start. The cleverly named Poni Colada, who is out of Coconut Willamina (Pleasant Colony), could target the $600,000 WinStar Derby at Sunland on March 16...
Four Roses Thoroughbreds' FIERCE WIND (Dixie Union) stamped himself as yet another Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful for Hall of Famer Nick Zito by capturing Saturday's $200,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Making his stakes debut, the dark bay colt reeled off 1 1/16 miles in 1:44 on the fast track to record his third straight victory.
When the gate sprang open, Honey Honey Honey (Awesome of Course) darted to the lead and established fractions of :23 4/5 and :48. In hot pursuit were 6-5 favorite Z Humor (Distorted Humor) and the rail-skimming Wise Answer (Wised Up). Z Humor put his head in front while reaching the six-furlong mark in 1:12 4/5. Meanwhile, Fierce Wind, who had been stalking in fourth with Cornelio Velasquez, advanced to challenge. Entering the stretch, Fierce Wind was moving much better than the floundering favorite, and he took command.
His work was not yet done, however, for the deep-closing Big Truck (Hook and Ladder) began to rev up inside the final sixteenth. Fierce Wind drifted to the outside as his margin was reduced, but he was always doing enough to stave off Big Truck by a half-length. Sent off as the nearly 7-2 second choice, Fierce Wind rewarded his supporters with payouts of $8.80, $4.60 and $3.40.
"I stayed in good position and watched for Garrett Gomez's horse (Z Humor), but he stopped at the quarter-pole," Velasquez recapped. "The other horse (Big Truck) came at the end, but I had a lot of horse. He'll run all day. I think he was waiting for the other horses. When the other horses tried to pass us, my horse responded like a big horse. He's a very nice horse, I think."
"This is that time of year when they all start coming out of the woodwork," assistant trainer Tim Poole said of the Derby trail. "(We) start to separate the men from the boys, and this is one of those stepping stones. He took a step in the right direction today. Hopefully we can stay on that path towards the ultimate goal -- you all know where that is."
The 9-1 Big Truck yielded $7.60 and $5.60 for his fine runner-up effort. Another three-quarters of a length back came Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz), who rallied for third in his two-turn debut and returned $4.20 at 4-1. The exacta was worth $74.60, the trifecta totaled $348.80, and with 64-1 longshot Dynamic Wayne (Eltish) reporting home three lengths farther back in fourth, the 4-6-7-5 superfecta was valued at $4,302.20. Z Humor wound up fifth and was trailed by Wise Answer, Wonder Mon (Maria's Mon) and Honey Honey Honey. Celtic Meal (Formal Dinner) was withdrawn.
Fierce Wind improved his mark to 5-3-0-0 while boosting his bankroll to $146,200. After finishing unplaced in his first two starts at sprint distances, the dark bay stretched out to one mile and 70 yards at Calder and steamrolled his maiden rivals by 10 1/4 lengths. Fierce Wind meted out a similar sort of treatment to his foes at Gulfstream Park last time out, taking a 1 1/8-mile allowance by 5 1/4 lengths.
Out of the winning A.P. Indy mare Post Parade, Fierce Wind is a full brother to Woodlawn S. hero Rebel Yeller. Post Parade is herself a full sister to multiple Grade 3 heroine Parade Queen, who is the dam of Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Untouched Talent (Storm Cat). Fierce Wind's fourth dam is *Bitty Girl (Habitat), the champion juvenile filly in England in 1973, and he hails from the family of Action This Day (Kris S.), the Eclipse Award winner as champion two-year-old male in 2003.
The winner was bred in Kentucky by W.S. Farish, Hilbert Thoroughbreds and Menard Thoroughbreds. A $90,000 purchase at the 2006 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Fierce Wind failed to reach his reserve when attracting a bid of $300,000 at last year's Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Calder.
Z Fortune has been entered as a Derby Contender.
George Schwary's homebred GEORGIE BOY (Tribal Rule) roared home late to capture Sunday's $147,000 San Vicente Stakes (GII) by 3 1/4 lengths over even-money favorite Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday). Making his sophomore debut for trainer Kathy Walsh, the California-bred gelding reeled off seven furlongs in 1:20 on the renovated Cushion Track at Santa Anita. Georgie Boy's time was just off the track record of 1:19 4/5 established by champion Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie) in the January 13 Santa Ynez S. (G2).
With new rider Rafael Bejarano aboard, Georgie Boy was reserved off the early pace at the tail of the four-horse field. Up front, Massive Drama (Kafwain) set fractions of :23 1/5 and :45 1/5, pressured all the while by Into Mischief on his outside. As the battle between the top two intensified on the far turn, Georgie Boy smoothly advanced into third and was drafting in the ideal spot. Into Mischief seized the lead from Massive Drama in the stretch, but Georgie Boy was just kicking into gear down the center of the track.
Inside the final sixteenth, Georgie Boy stormed past a tiring Into Mischief and quickly opened up on the field. Dispatched as the nearly 3-1 third choice, the winner returned $7.80 and $3.20 while keying the $1 exacta (1-4) that totaled $7.90. There was no show wagering.
"We had two horses to beat and they both had speed, so I was able to sit in behind them," Bejarano said. "I wanted to be close, and when I turned him loose, he just took off. He's a super horse."
"He was a little upset today," Walsh said. "It was his first race in five months. I thought he rated real well. He was a little rank the first quarter-mile, then he settled off."
Into Mischief, who switched leads a couple of times as he got weary in deep stretch, kept on for runner-up honors to pay $2.60.
"It was a good start back," horseman Richard Mandella said of Into Mischief. "Kathy Walsh's horse ran fabulous, but mine ran real good. I thought he might be eligible to get a little tired. I was lucky to get him to the races with what we had (foot issues and training interruptions), but we got through that and at least we're still in the game. We'll probably look at the San Felipe (G2) in a month (on March 15)."
Another length back came Massive Drama, who was 14 1/4 lengths clear of longshot Red Hot Flame (Malek [Chi]). Cardinal Zin (Whywhywhy) was withdrawn.
Georgie Boy boosted his bankroll to $376,806 from his 6-3-2-1 line. Last summer, the dark bay broke his maiden in the Graduation S. at Del Mar in his third career start. After finishing a solid second to Salute the Sarge (Forest Wildcat) in the Best Pal S. (G2), Georgie Boy came charging from near the back of the pack to take the Del Mar Futurity (G1) in his juvenile finale. Walsh explained her reasons for giving him an extended break after Del Mar.
"I ran him three times at Del Mar, and for a horse that gives you so much, you want to give him a chance," the trainer said. "He gave his heart every time he ran, and I thought he just needed a rest. If anything, the time off gave him some time to let him grow and mature."
Walsh confirmed that Georgie Boy will set out on the Kentucky Derby trail, but his next target has yet to be fixed.
"He's nominated to the race in Hot Springs (the 1 1/16-mile Rebel S. [G2] at Oaklawn Park on March 15)," she said. "We'll kind of play it by ear."
The first foal from the stakes-winning Ippodamia (Peterhof), Georgie Boy has an unnamed yearling half-sister by Old Topper
Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Pyro, who was 11th and last at the top of the stretch, made an explosive move in the final eighth of a mile to capture the $300,000 Grade III Risen Star Stakes, the main event of Louisiana Derby Preview Day Saturday at Fair Grounds.
Under regular rider Shaun Bridgmohan, the son of Pulpit stamped himself as the undisputed long-range choice in Fair Grounds’ Grade II Louisiana Derby next month and one of the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
“I just did what I was told to do, and it worked out very well for me,” said Bridgmohan.
Pyro finished two lengths ahead of stablemate Z Fortune and covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.68. More impressively, press box observers clocked Pyro’s final quarter-mile in a sizzling 22 3-5 seconds. It was another three-quarters of a length back to the Michael Matz-trained Visionaire in third.
As the odds-on choice of the fans, Pyro paid $3.80, $2.60 and $2.20, while Z Fortune returned $3.40 and $2.60 and Visionaire paid $3.60 to show.
“He’s a tremendous horse,” said trainer Steve Asmussen of Pyro, who breezed in company with Horse of the Year Curlin at Fair Grounds twice in the last three weeks before making the first start of his 3-year-old campaign in the Risen Star. “How good is he? He’s good enough to do what we just watched. He accelerated home. Guess his workmate did the job, huh?”
Despite winning for only the second time in five lifetime starts, Pyro increased his career earnings to $696,718.
With Pyro near the back of the pack, Rich Young Ruler set pedestrian early fractions of :24.52 and :49.50 before fading to sixth at the wire. That made Pyro’s late surge – he was still eighth in mid-stretch – even more impressive.
