Revolutionary Fires Late, Takes 'Special'
By Tom LaMarra,
By Tom LaMarra,
WinStar Farm's Revolutionary, far back early through a heated pace, kicked into gear and circled his eight foes to win the $300,000 Pimlico Special (gr. III) by a neck at Pimlico Race Course May 16.
It was the second consecutive big effort by Todd Pletcher-trained Revolutionary, who in his previous start April 12 rallied despite trouble to finish three-quarters of a length behind the victorious Will Take Charge in the Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II).
A 4-year-old colt by War Pass out of the A.P. Indy mare Runup the Colors, Revolutionary was bred in Kentucky by W.S. Farish. WinStar purchased the colt for $235,000 at the 2012 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training.
The pace in the Pimlico Special, run on a fast track, was set by Valid, who broke from the inside post and was hounded by Moreno for at least seven furlongs in the 1 3/16-mile race. The fractions were :22.75 for the opening quarter-mile and :46.98 for the half-mile, and 1:11.33 for six furlongs as Golden Lad, Korean-bred Major King, and Cat Burglar raced just off the leaders.
Moreno, under urging entering the stretch, held a short lead as Cat Burglar shot through along the inside to challenge through one mile in 1:36.60. Meanwhile, Prayer for Relief, who ranged up on the turn, and Revolutionary, who had closed a large gap, took aim on the outside.
With Mike Smith riding, Revolutionary surged late to edge Prayer for Relief at the line in 1:55.99, well off the track record set by Farma Way in 1991. Cat Burglar was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third, getting the best of Moreno, who was a neck back in fourth.
"I didn't realize I was going to be so far back," Smith said. "I even asked him a little bit coming out of the gate. I was a little concerned and I thought, 'They must be flying out there.' Going past the five-eighths he really started to level off, and I felt confident he was going to run well.
"I didn't know if I would get by them all, but at the quarter pole I was pretty confident."
Revolutionary paid $6.40, $3.60, and $3.20 across the board. Prayer for Relief returned $7.20 and $4.60, while Cat Burglar returned $4.60. The $2 exacta was worth $74, while the $1 trifecta paid $217.10.
Valid finished fifth, followed by Bourbon Courage, Carve, Golden Lad, and Major King to complete the order of finish.
Revolutionary, third in the 2013 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), also won the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) and Withers Stakes (gr. III) last year. He won his 2014 debut in an allowance/optional claiming test in January and followed up with a seventh-place finish in the Donn Handicap (gr. I) Feb. 9.
"I think he showed last year and as a 2-year-old that he was a really good horse," Pletcher said. "The time off we gave after last year's (fifth-place finish in the) Belmont Stakes (gr. I) did him well. This was a big effort for him."
Revolutionary has now earned in excess of $1.3 million for his connections.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85123/revolutionary-fires-late-takes-special#ixzz31vYeQ14M
By Claire Novak,
Repole Stable's Stopchargingmaria returned to her winning ways May 16 at Pimlico Race Course, but had to fight to get the job done in the $500,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II).
Closing three wide off the final turn in pursuit of Vero Amore, the 3-year-old Tale of the Cat filly appeared to have her opponent measured in the middle of the lane. Vero Amore dug deep, however, and it was only a determined surge from Stopchargingmaria that ensured her victory by a neck in the final strides over a track rated good. (VIDEO).
The victory was the first of the season Stopchargingmaria, who flashed brilliance as a 2-year-old in the Tempted Stakes (gr. III) and Demoiselle (gr. II) at Aqueduct Racetrack in November. The Todd Pletcher trainee did not head on to the Breeders' Cup from there, however, and was reserved for a 2014 campaign that until now had not gone according to plan.
Stopchargingmaria began her season with a fifth in the Davona Dale (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park in February and followed up with a fourth in the April 5 Fantasy Stakes (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park. Third time was the charm, however, as the bay filly came in under Javier Castellano at odds of 7-2.
"To be honest, I'm not really sure why her first two races this year didn't go as well as last year," Pletcher remarked. "It took her a little while after the Fantasy to get back. After the Fantasy we took her up to Saratoga, and the cool weather seemed to invigorate her. Today she acted like she was back to her old self."
It was the first time Castellano had ridden Stopchargingmaria since partnering with her for her two prior stakes scores. He also rode her to a runner-up finish in the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) on a sloppy, sealed track at Saratoga Race Course last summer.
Stopchargingmaria raced mid-pack for the first half mile, who drew closer on the outside rounding the final turn.
"It set up perfectly for us and I had a beautiful trip," Castellano said. "We took a look at the race beforehand. We figured there'd be a lot of speed and I just wanted to put her in a good position. We saved ground going into the first turn and after that it was a matter of keeping her in the clear. I had ridden her before at Saratoga on an off track, and she had no problems with it today at all. At the top of the stretch, I was pretty confident."
Eleven 3-year-old fillies contested the Black-Eyed Susan, with Sloane Square, also trained by Pletcher, the 3-1 favorite.
Longshot Image of Anna struck out for the early lead in the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan, and held that spot while setting a sharp pace through a quarter in :23.74 and a half in :48.90. Stopchargingmaria was back off the leader in sixth as they went up the backstretch, while Vero Amore tracked closer to the pace in second by about a length.
Vero Amore ranged up to collar the front-runner heading into the final turn, and Castellano sent Stopchargingmaria following right along. Vero Amore took over heading for home, but it was a short-lived advantage as the eventual winner closed three wide and leveled out for the drive.
Getting a mile in 1:39.19, Stopchargingmaria drew on even terms with her rival and then was all-out to eke out the score. Fortune Pearl rounded out the trifecta 2 3/4 lengths behind a final time of 1:51.79. It was the fourth Black-Eyed Susan victory for Pletcher, who previously sent out winners Spun Sugar (2005), Panty Raid (2007), and In Lingerie (2012).
Stopchargingmaria returned $9.60, $5.60, and $4. Vero Amore returned $12.80 and $9.40, while Fortune Pearl paid $5.80. Joint Return, America, Arethusa, La Mejor Fiesta, Shanon Nicole, Sloane Square, Euphrosyne, and Image of Anna completed the order of finish.
The Black-Eyed Susan winner is the first foal out of the stakes-winning Montbrook mare Exotic Bloom, and was bred in Kentucky by Harvey Clarke and the Seitz's family's Brookdale Farm. Clarke, the breeder of champion I'll Have Another and grade I winner Havana, lives in New Jersey and keeps his mares at Brookdale in Woodford County.
Clarke and Brookdale sold the Demoiselle winner to Woodford Thoroughbreds for $47,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale. Repole Stables went to $220,000 to buy her from Woodford Thoroughbreds, agent, at the 2013 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85122/stopchargingmaria-cashes-in-black-eyed-susan#ixzz31vXxdFVj
