2-year-old Fort Wise Treaty impresses at Ellis Park

Two youngsters who appear to have big futures were on display in Ellis Park’s fifth race Tuesday for 2-year-olds running a mile on turf. Fort Wise Treaty and jockey Shaun Bridgmohan got through on the rail to edge favored Eclipsed Moon, who rallied on the outside only to come up a neck short.

Fort Wise Treaty, a $170,000 OBS April 2-year-old purchase owned by Mark Breen of Connecticut, did a lot of things right in his first start. Breaking from post 7, the colt settled nicely in mid-pack and was content to be on the inside, where he stayed the rest of the way, getting through traffic while finishing in 1:36.60, his last eighth-mile coming in under 12 seconds. Fort Wise Treaty paid $13.60 to win as the third choice.

“He ran great; he had a great ride, I can tell you that,” trainer Brad Cox said by phone. “The intent was to start short on dirt, but he just wasn’t giving it to us in the mornings like we were looking for. We thought maybe we’d run him long on the turf and maybe he’d be a little more competitive. And that seemed to work. He got a great trip. Obviously the horse who was second looks like a really nice horse and had a wide trip. I sure don’t want to run again him next time. But it was a good effort. I was proud of the horse.”

Said Bridgmohan: “Brad did a phenomenal job. He was very professional, was there every time I needed him. All I had to do was just find him some room, and I did. And he gave me what he had.”

Fort Wise Treaty is the first winner for the Adena Springs stallion Fort Larned, winner of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita for Kentucky-based trainer Ian Wilkes and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.

Eclipsed Moon, the odds-on favorite in the field of 12, broke last and had to come six-wide around the far turn. Jockey Robby Albarado said there was a lot to like in defeat.

“His mom was a runner,” he said of the Dehere mare Beautician. “I was second on her in the (2009) Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in California. He’s a nice colt. He didn’t break well, so I gave him a good experience. I had to go wide because they were like quails out there, those 2-year-olds stopping. They were all over the place. I didn’t want to get him stopped, especially a big horse. He ran well. The top two horses are nice horses. That was a good showing first time out.”

It was another two lengths back to the pacesetting Rushin Tothecircle, Eclipsed Moon’s stablemate in trainer Kenny McPeek’s barn.

Cox said Fort Wise Treaty will stay at Ellis Park, where his assistant Tessa Bisha oversees that division, with the Aug. 20 Ellis Park Juvenile at seventh-eighths of a mile a possibility. 

“I wouldn’t hesitate to maybe try him on the Poly (synthetic surface) or dirt at the right distance,” he said. “I don’t want to shorten him up much. I would maybe try seven-eighths on the Poly or on the dirt, if the race came up the right way. If there’s a grass race, I prefer the grass with him, to be honest.”

Court guides Indy Hill to allowance triumph

Calumet Farm’s well-bred 3-year-old colt Indy Hill needed 10 starts to win a race, but now has taken two straight after prevailing in a $41,000 first-level allowance by a length over Crawford.

“He was right there with the speed, and when we turned for home, I had enough pony to finish it up,” said jockey Jon Court, who is 2 for 2 on Indy Hill.

With his pedigree, being by Calumet’s Breeders’ Cup Turf winner English Channeland out of a mare by Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy, one might expect Indy Hill to be a distance horse. But he seems to have found a home as a turf sprinter, covering 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:01.20 after pressing fractions of 21.45 for the first quarter-mile and 43.54 for the half.

“I got off the duck right away, then the reality of just riding every day set in. I had seconds and thirds. This is my second win,” said Court, who later would get his third of the young meet and 602nd victory at Ellis Park. “I’m fortunate at this stage of my career that I’m as competitive and riding as active as I am…. I’ve got some good business. Just have to keep on keepin’ on, try to find fast ones.”

Racing resumes Friday with the first race at 12:50 p.m. Central.

Source: Ellis Park (Jennie Rees)