Al Muhtasib Glides Over Fair Grounds Slop
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William Butler’s Al Muhtasib was a convincing 3 ¼-length gate-to-wire
winner in Monday’s $75,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial Handicap, originally
carded for 1 1/16 miles on turf but moved to a “sloppy” main track.
A
4-year-old Distorted Humor colt last seen finishing third in the
$150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at Fair Grounds on Dec. 3, Al Muhtasib set
moderate fractions of 24.42, 48.48 and 1:13.03 before widening his lead
in the stretch and finishing the 8 ½ furlongs in 1:43.63. Leading
jockey Rosie Napravnik, initially scheduled to ride Suntracer, picked up
the mount mid-afternoon after that morning line favorite elected not to
try the mud.
“He jumped out of the gate sharp today and he just
relaxed and had plenty left for the lane,” Napravnik said. “I had a ton
of horse the whole way. He was tugging on me waiting for me to tell him
to go.”
Trained by Mike Maker, the winner paid $9.20, $4 and $3.80 while increased his career earnings to $250,738.
The
running order never changed at any point of call, with Chester J.
Miller and Patrick J. Dupuy’s Strike Impact holding on for second, and
paying $5.20 and $3, while 1 ½ lengths to the good of John Wade’s
Pedrolino, who returned $3.60.
The field scratched down to five
horses after it was announced that the race would be transferred to the
main track. Favored Worldly and Ready Set rounded out the order of
finish.
Al Muhtasib was saddled by Maker’s assistant, Joe Sharp,
who married Napravnik in October. Afterwards, Sharp was asked what
instructions he gave his wife in the paddock.
“I learned not to
give her too many instructions,” Sharp said. “Doesn’t work out too well.
I respect her job. She is good at what she does and she respects mine
and we have a good balance. She doesn’t need any instructions.”
Sharp confirmed that Al Muhtasib had been entered with an off-the-turf scenario in mind and would not have run on the turf.
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