Green Gratto Romps at Aqueduct
Green Gratto backed up his recent win in the Fall Highweight Handicap (G3) with an easy victory in the 57th running of the $100,000 Gravesend on the inner track at Aqueduct. After the race, the connections of the five-year-old horse received a raucous reception in the paddock from hundreds of Jamaican railbirds. From all of the cheering and celebrating it was hard to believe that the winner was sent off as the 4.10-1 third betting choice.
Green Gratto bested a field of five that included Palace, who was making the final start of his 30 race career. Palace, who was claimed by trainer Linda Rice for owner Antonino Miuccio on October 16, 2012, for a mere $16,000 in his maiden victory, would go on to win over $1,500,000 and two grade one sprints.
Palace will join a revamped and expanded stallion roster at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, KY. The son of City Zip will stand for $6,000 and join Medal Count, Danza, Race Day, Normandy Invasion, and Wicked Strong as new sires in 2016 at Spendthrift.
On this unseasonably warm day right after Christmas, it was all about Green Gratto. Rider Kendrick Carmouche did not hestitate to send this New Jersey-bred son of the Dehere stallion Here’s Zealous right to the lead. On a racing surface that had not been playing kindly to frontrunners, Green Gratto simply blew this field away. After fractions of 22.53 and 45.00 Carmouche had his horse in the lead by 8 ½ lengths. The five furlong split was 56.95 and Green Gratto simply coasted home to a final time of 1:09.89 and a 5 ¾ length margin of victory.
Trainer and co-owner Gaston Grant, who got the horse from the breeders at Kaz Hill Farm, said after the race, “He seems to be getting better as he gets older. We were going to give him a break after the Fall Highweight, but he was kicking down his stall. We had to run him. He’s amazingly consistent; he carries the whole barn on his shoulders. He and Kendrick get along great. He seems to flourish under him.”
Since Carmouche got aboard Green Gratto at Aqueduct, the pair recorded two stakes wins and a second in an allowance race. “He [Green Gratto] just does everything right, every time I’ve ridden him,” said Carmouche. “I have to give all the credit to his owner and trainer. I’m just the passenger along for the ride!”
The rest of the field was left to battle for the lesser parts of the purse. Palace was able to get second place as the 1.10-1 favorite and Alex the Terror got third.
For the victory Green Gratto paid $10.20, $3.80, and $2.70. The win upped his career stats to 37: 6-6-6 and moved his earnings to $635,514. For Grant of both his training wins for 2015 have come from Green Gratto.
Grant mentioned that next year’s Carter Handicap (G1) on April 9th is a long-term goal for his horse, who was recently named the 2015 New Jersey-bred of the Year.