Trainer Rick Dutrow
Jr., has never shied from wheeling horses back into races off short rest, but
his performance this week at Saratoga Race Course likely will go down as his
best quick turnaround of all.
Three days after sending James Riccio’s Willy Beamin out to win
the $150,000 Albany
for New York-breds at 1 1/8 miles, Dutrow put the 3-year-old gelding into a far
more ambitious spot Saturday – the Grade 1, $500,000 Foxwoods
King’s Bishop. As a desperate duel between a blur of horses developed in
the latter stages of the race, Willy Beamin cut loose a furious burst inside
the eighth pole and went from sixth to first to win the seven-furlong race by a
half-length.
Fort
Loudon, who had been
battling on the lead, finished second, a nose in front of Unbridled’s
Note. Doctor Chit was just three-quarters of a length back in fourth, a neck in
front of Laurie’s Rocket.
The winner, the 11-1 seventh choice in a field of 10, won in a time of
1:22.02 and paid $24.80 for a $2 win bet.
Dutrow did not attend the races Saturday, reportedly at Aqueduct Racetrack
with his large string of horses, but a semi-stunned Riccio took the honors in the
winners circle.
“Unbelievable,” said Riccio, of Bayonne, N.J.,
who claimed Willy Beamin for $25,000 in March at Aqueduct. “He started
getting good, good, good. The other day he had a lot left in the tank [after
winning the Albany],
and [jockey Alan Garcia] didn’t even really ask him to run. Dutrow is
great at that. They run better the second time.
“This is the best [race] I’ve ever won, and to be at Saratoga in a Grade 1 with
a claimer, I never dreamed of this.”
On paper, the race shaped up as another slugfest between the speedy
Trinniberg and the favorite, Currency Swap, but neither top sprinter was around
at the finish.
At the start, Trinniberg broke sharply and cut out opening fractions of
22.28 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 45.13 for the half, while hounded
by Doctor Chit.
At the top of the lane, Trinniberg gave way and a wild chase ensued, as
Unbridled’s Note extricated himself from a boxed position and began to
battle with the hard-closing Fort
Loudon and Doctor Chit.
Willy Beamin, however, swooped down and caught them all.
Laurie’s Rocket finished fifth; Currency Swap, in tight quarters
on the inside, was sixth; followed by Ever So Lucky, Spin Out, Trinniberg and
Gun Boat.
Willy Beamin, a son of Suave, now has won seven of 10 lifetime starts.
The $300,000 winner’s purse increased his earnings to $609,545.
Asked what might be next for Willy Beamin, Riccio sounded unsure,
because you never know with Dutrow.
“I would say he’s going to get a couple months off,”
Riccio said. “We’ll figure it out. We didn’t look that far
down the road, but you never know. Rick might have something up his sleeve.
What’s today, Saturday? There’s something Thursday, but they drew
already.”