Photo: NYRA
Inherit the Gold made
his eighth appearance in the Aqueduct Racetrack winner’s circle on
Sunday, coming from off the pace to post a 6 ¼-length victory in the $75,000
Haynesfield for New York-breds 4-years-old and up.
The 6-year-old gray gelding settled 3 ½ lengths behind the pacesetter
in fourth, ahead of just one horse, the slow-starting Spa City Fever, through
opening fractions of 23.44 and 48.42. After waiting behind the leaders on the
far turn, Inherit the Gold made a slingshot maneuver at the top of the stretch
and ran away from his rivals, with Socialsaul holding off Uncle T Seven by a
half-length for second.
The final time for 1 1/16 miles over the inner track was 1:43.05.
Inherit the Gold, the 7-5 second choice, paid $4.90 for a $2 win wager.
“Today, it was perfect,” said winning jockey Junior
Alvarado. “The speed went to the lead and I just waited and waited and
waited, and when I asked him, he was a completely professional horse. He just
took off right away and that was it.”
Inherit the Gold, a six-time winner on the inner track, captured last
year’s Grade 3 Excelsior in April and New York Stallion Series in
November on the Big A main track.
Overall, he is 9-4-3 from 21 starts with $412,685 in earnings,
including the $45,000 winner’s share of the Haynesfield purse.
Inherit the Gold entered the Haynesfield off a fourth in the Alex M.
Robb on December 31 and a second in the Queens County on December 10, a pair of
races that did not favor the gelding’s running style. Jim Hooper, who
trains Inherit the Gold for Glas-Tipp Stable and his wife, Susanne, said the quicker
pace in Sunday’s Haynesfield helped Inherit the Gold regain the winning
thread.
“It was a fabulous performance,” said Hooper. “I knew
he was good in his last two, but he was compromised by the pace and the trip.
Today, things went his way. All he needs is a fair chance. If he gets a fair
chance, he is going to be right there.”
Hooper said he he’ll have Inherit the Gold target title defenses in
Aqueduct’s Kings Point on March 3 and Grade 3 Excelsior on March 17.
“He is an incredible horse,” added Hooper.
“He’s got a lot of personality and a lot of good things about him
besides being fast.”
Spa
City Fever was fourth,
with Beautyinthepulpit completing the order of finish.