Under
confident handling, Marc Ferrell’s Called to Serve waited behind the
leaders, tipped to the outside and pounced, winning as his rider pleased
in the $125,000 Broad Brush Stakes, the co-feature on New Year’s Eve at
Laurel Park.
Joel
Rosario was at the controls as the Nick Canani trainee covered the nine
furlong distance in 1:50.75. Eighttofasttocatch, who has six stakes
victories at Laurel Park, set the pace and was racing comfortably on the
lead but could offer no resistance when Called to Serve ranged up to
his outside. He finished second, 5-3/4 lengths behind the leader and
five lengths ahead of Hughes Next, who surged to beat Thunder Lord at
the finish line to take third.
“This
horse is doing real good right now,” Rosario said. “I just wanted to
keep him out of trouble. He was doing it really easy. I passed the horse
inside me really quick and got the job done. I think he is a nice
horse. This is the third time I have ridden him and he has been better
each time.”
Called to Serve, an Afleet Alex offspring who won the Discovery Handicap (G3) in his previous start, paid $3.
“He’s
really only getting better. He’s really growing up and he’s learning
how to be a real racehorse,” added Canani. “He is a very versatile horse
and the longer they go the better he is. He is becoming a really nice
horse.”
Canani
said his star would run next in one of three graded races: the Donn
Handicap (G1) at Gulfstream Park , the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) or the
Strub Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.