Inherit The Gold Steals Show at Big A

11/13/2011 11:56 PM  | horseracingnation.com
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Inherit The Gold Wins 2011 Excelsior Inherit the Gold showed his affinity for Aqueduct Racetrack Sunday afternoon, defeating nine foes to take the New York Stallion Stakes (NYSS) Thunder Rumble Division, one of four NYSS races on the afternoon's card.

Darrin's Dilemma led the way through a quarter-mile in 22.98 and a half-mile in 45.68 in the $75,000 Thunder Rumble, while Inherit the Gold sat back in sixth. Carried five wide into the stretch, Inherit the Gold dueled with Pretty Boy Freud for the last sixteenth of a mile, prevailing by a neck at the wire. His final time for seven furlongs was 1:22.42 over a fast track.

"Just super courageous, like every other time," said Jim Hooper, who trains the 5-year-old son of Gold Token for Glas-Tipp Stable and his wife, Susanne. "Really, he's an incredible horse. I thought he was so wide I didn't think he could possibly get the job done out there. He didn't break very well, but Johnny [Velazquez] actually got him over great."

Inherit the Gold, now 7-for-8 at Aqueduct, came into the Thunder Rumble off a seventh-place finish in the October 22 McMahon Adena Empire Classic at Belmont Park, his first start in five months.

"Of course it scares you when you come off a race like the first one, but I figured maybe that was just me," said Hooper. "We really asked him to do the impossible, and he showed today that if you do right by him, he's going to be fine. I'm ecstatic."

With Sunday's victory, Inherit the Gold ran his record to 8-3-3 from 18 starts and boosted his earnings to $350,935. Sent off as the narrow favorite at 8-5, he returned $5.50.

Uncle T Seven followed entrymate Pretty Boy Freud under the wire, and Make Note, Hammock, Silent Appeal, Uncle Smokey, Darrin's Dilemma, Mr. Windjammer and Ess Shape completed the order of finish.

One race later, Shane Roars pulled off a 91-1 upset in the $100,000 NYSS Great White Way Division run at six furlongs for juveniles. After pressing fellow longshot Raffie's Factor through an opening quarter in 22.24, Shane Roars took the lead and held off late charges from Think I'm Hooked and Bait to win by a neck in 1:12.19.

A son of Roaring Fever, Shane Roars is campaigned by Wellspring Stables and trained by Dominic Galluscio. Junior Alvarado was aboard for the Great White Way, which was also the colt's maiden score after he finished sixth and fourth in two maiden claiming events at Saratoga Race Course this summer.

"I honestly didn't think he would go off at 91-1, because his last race was very good," said Galluscio. "The first time he was green, the next time he showed speed and got tired. He wasn't that fit. We freshened him, got him good and fit, and it worked out well."

Shane Roars returned $185.50, significantly contributing to an $89,732 two-day carryover in the Pick 6 pool. Racing will resume at Aqueduct on Wednesday, November 16, with the Pick 6 starting in Race 4, which has an approximate post time of 1:50 p.m.

Favorites ruled the day in the NYSS events for fillies and mares earlier on the card, with The Funky Express leading at every call to win the Fifth Avenue Division for 2-year-old fillies and 3-year-old Lady On the Run edging clear in the stretch to take the Staten Island Division for older females. Both fillies won by 1 ¼-length margins.

The Funky Express, a daughter of Freud, was making her first start for Brooklyn Boyz Stables and MeB Racing Stables. The Fifth Avenue marked her third consecutive victory and second in a stakes race. Sent off at 3-5, she returned $3.30 and completed six furlongs in 1:11.54 under apprentice Ryan Curatolo.

"She's a good filly to be around, she's well-mannered, she does everything right," said trainer Dominick Schettino. "She's a sweetheart and she wants to please you. I thought she ran very well. The No. 5 horse (Vicki's Dancer) never let her get away; I think she dug in gamely."

Vicki's Dancer held second and Lenders Way completed the trifecta.

Lady On the Run saved ground early on before moving into contention on the turn and edging away to score her second straight win for breeder/co-owner Jeffrey Tucker and trainer John Morrison.

"I was a little concerned because she was a little keyed up, but I managed to catch some dirt in her face right away, which helped," said winning rider Mike Luzzi. "Going into the race, I thought there was one horse to beat. At the three-eighths pole, I said, 'There's one horse to beat, and that's the one up there [Saltamontes], so let's go!' John did a great job, and I'm happy to be home in New York."

A daughter of Ten Most Wanted, Lady On the Run is now 4-4-2 from 12 career starts with earnings of $210,850. She ran seven furlongs in 1:23.41, returned $4 as the even-money favorite in the field of seven, and was followed under the wire by Saltamontes and Page by Page.


 

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