David R. Randal’s Capetown Devil appears to love the racing game. The David Carroll trainee is now 3-for-3 after winning the eighth race at Fair Grounds on Saturday. He lost his footing after breaking from the gate, but recovered to prevail in a sustained drive that saw him get up by a neck under Corey Lanerie in this first-level allowance race around two turns on the main track. The now-3-year-old homebred gelding previously won his two starts in Kentucky. He paid $9.80 here.
Eddie Kenneally came away with a win on the Saturday card at Gulfstream Park, but he might actually feel better about the second-place finish he got out of Battle Hardened in the day’s eighth race. Larry Byer’s Holiday Broad put the Waterford native in the winner’s circle when she came again to score her second victory on the lawn in as many tries over that surface. This was a starter allowance at seven and one-half furlongs, in which she got up by one and one-half lengths under Jose Lezcano as the heavy favorite, paying $4.40.
As for Battle Hardened, the youngster came into Saturday’s maiden special weight race at nine furlongs over the main track off a credible second-place performance to the highly regarded Indian Ambush at Churchill Downs in late November. Here, he made for the lead early, leaving the 11 post with Javier Castellano, taking the clubhouse turn three-wide. By the time they’d straightened for home, Battle Hardened had taken the lead, lost the lead, regained the lead, dismissed multiple challengers and came up just short to Big Screen at the wire. Battle Hardened, owned by Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor, should break his maiden soon enough and could have a future in the spring classics, considering that he’s by Giant’s Causeway.
GOOD HERE, GOOD THERE
The venues differed but just about everything else was the same. John Good ran horses in the seventh race at both Aqueduct and Turfway Park last Wednesday, won both races and lost both horses via the claim box. Kentucky shipper Coosada triumphed at the Big A, rallying under Ramon Dominguez to prevail by one-half length against $14,000 stock. Good had taken this 4-year-old gelding out of his last race at Churchill Downs for $16,000. He paid $7.10 in New York and is now the property of Linda Rice.
Good, a Co. Kildare native, also scored in the seventh race at Turfway on Wednesday with his own Victory With Honor. The 4-year-old colt was well enough thought of to run in last year’s Grade 2 San Fernando Stakes at Santa Anita when he was trained by Eoin Harty. Something obviously went awry and the colt was consorting with nickel claimers at Turfway after two previous washouts against higher-priced claiming stock in Kentucky. Here, he came from off the pace to get up in time by a neck with Victor Lebron riding. He paid $5.20 as the favorite and moved to the barn of trainer Steve Tippett.
Returning to Aqueduct, the Friday card ended with some happy Irishmen. David Ahearn’s Freudian Dilemma pulled a wire job under apprentice Ryan Curatolo to win the seventh race by just over two lengths against second-level statebred allowance runners. The 3-year-old homebred gelding has now won two of six races since Ahearn transferred him to the barn of Carl Doran, formerly of Tallaght, Dublin. The win mutuel came back $13.40.
Two races later, Peter O’Reilly, Thomas Noonan and their partners in the Rapp Glad Stable had cause to celebrate when their Impress the Chief broke his maiden in his sixth start. The 3-year-old homebred colt prevailed by one-half length after dueling the entire trip with Russian Ally, the favorite. Impress the Chief paid $7.50 in winning this maiden claiming sprint at the $16,000 tier. Rick Dutrow is the trainer.
TRIPLES FOR DOOLEY, GRAHAM
Jockey Clifford Dooley won three races on Thursday when Charles Town resumed its schedule after the Christmas break. He got down to business in the first race aboard Jester’s Court for main man Scooter Davis. The win price was $5.00 on the chalk. Two races later, Dooley and Davis teamed up to put Run Fat Boy Run in the winner’s circle. Another favorite, “Fat Boy” paid $4.60 in working off those holiday carbs. Dooley also scored in the nightcap aboard Aix En Provence for trainer Simon Hobson. The win mutuel came back $3.20.
James Graham, another reinsman out of Dublin, greeted 2012 with three victories at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. He wired the seventh race field aboard Trelawny for trainer Tom Amoss, yielding a $6.60 win mutuel. In the next race, he rallied aboard J. Burle for trainer Walter Fite, returning a robust $19.80. He closed out the card with a Galway-tinged victory aboard Clifden Johnny for Innisfree Thoroughbreds and trainer Andrew McKeever. The newly turned 4-year-old homebred gelding paid $4.20 in breaking his maiden in his fifth career start.
Cathal Lynch tacked another win onto a successful 2011 when Daniela Lynch’s Beaureal rallied under Angel Arroyo to capture the ninth race at Philly Park on Wednesday. The 3-year-old colt went off the favorite in this long claiming sprint at the $7,500 plateau for non-winners of three races. The winner paid $5.40 and went unclaimed.
The Derryman then wasted little time getting into the win column in 2012 when his Rum Diary made it two in a row by taking the fifth race at Parx on New Year’s Day. The 4-year-old gelding needed 14 starts to record that first win, but seems to have taken a liking to being first under the wire. Here, he cruised home by three lengths under Kyle Frey against a field of limited winners at the $7,500 claiming level. The win mutuel on the Lynch trainee was $6.20.
John Haran got a win on the New Year’s Eve card at Hawthorne with Regal Nurse. That’s two in a row for the filly at the $14,000 claiming level since the Sligoman claimed her for $5,000 in November. Inocencio Diego had the seat aboard Regal Nurse, which paid $7.80 to win.
