Apriority Overcomes Trouble in Mr. Prospector
Big Drama was a very tough act to follow in the stable of trainer David
Fawkes, but Apriority still put on quite a show Saturday at Gulfstream
Park.
Apriority didn’t come close to the track record of 1:08.28 that Big
Drama set while winning $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3), but the
4-year-old son of Grand Slam turned in a mind-boggling performance of
his own to give Fawkes back-to-back triumphs in the 59th running of the
six-furlong stakes.
Despite stumbling badly leaving the starting gate from the rail post
position and lacking running room until reaching the deep stretch, a
resilient Apriority demonstrated an irrepressible will to win with a
last-ditch lunge at the wire to prevail over pacesetter Zero Rate Policy
by a nose.
“I thought we were done at the start after he stumbled so bad. We’re
lucky the jock stayed on,” said Fawkes, whose 5-2 second choice was
ridden by Luis Saez. “It’s amazing what he overcame to win it. When he
got back in contention at the top of the stretch it was a matter of
inside, outside. (Saez) waited and waited and then made the right choice
and got through.”
Apriority ($7.20) recovered quickly after nearly unseating his rider
and tracked Zero Rate Policy, who set solid fractions of 22.54 and 44.74
seconds for the first half mile while being stalked by Immortal Eyes
and The Hunk. Zero Rate Policy, ridden by Paco Lopez, took the lead into
the stretch and opened a length lead with an eighth of a mile to go,
completing five furlongs in a swift 56.72 seconds.
Despite his early troubles, Apriority still had some fight in him and
battled his way to victory after a path opened along the rail inside of
Zero Rate Policy. While winning his third race over the Gulfstream track
in as many starts, Apriority ran six-furlongs in 1:09.28 to break a
five-race winless streak since turning in a career-best effort at
Gulfstream last April. But he did so at a cost.
“He grabbed his left front foot inside, but it appears to be
superficial,” Fawkes said. “We’ll see. If everything’s all right he’ll
come back in the ($200,000 Florida) Sunshine Millions Sprint (Jan. 28).”
“My horse ran a great race. I floated a little wide around the turn,
but he ran hard all the way,” Lopez said. “We just lost the bob. That’s
the way it goes sometimes.”
Trainer Terri Pompay was encouraged by Zero Rate Policy’s effort despite losing by just a nose.
“He ran a good race. At least he proved he can go with these horses. He
made the step up. He got beat, but he ran real credible,” said trainer
Terri Pompay, who will also point the son of Trippi to the Florida
Sunshine Millions Sprint.