Chris Block has won only three races with his small south Florida-based
contingent this winter, but the Illinois-based trainer has certainly
made the most of those victories, each of which has come in a graded
stakes.
Never Retreat became the latest graded stakes winner for Team Block,
parlaying an absolutely dream trip under jockey Julien Leparoux into a
one-length victory over Persuading in Saturday's $100,000 Honey Fox at
Gulfstream Park.
Block added the Grade 3 Honey Fox to his earlier victories this winter
with Giant Oak in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap and Askbut I Won'ttell in
Calder's Grade 3 My Charmer.
Never Retreat had gradually been working her way toward a graded stakes
victory, having finished third in the Grade 3 Marshua's River and second
behind Cherokee Queen in the Grade 3 Suwannee River earlier in the
meet. In the Honey Fox, she sat much closer to the pace than usual,
tracking front-runner Persuading from the outset. Never Retreat engaged
the leader in early stretch before gradually edging clear through the
final furlong.
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