Coal Front stretches out to win Oaklawn's Razorback Handicap
Coal Front overcame the far outside post to win his two-turn debut in
Monday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park after jockey John Velazquez
asked for speed early, and the 5-year-old just held on to score consecutive graded stakes victories.
Owned by Robert V. LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners LLC, Coal Front was away
for more than a year before returning in November’s Bold Ruler Handicap (G3) at
Aqueduct. He finished fifth, then moved forward to win the Dec. 22 Mr. Prospector Stakes
(G2) at Gulfstream Park.
The Mr. Prospector ran at seven furlongs, while the Razorback stretched Coal Front out to 1 1/16 miles.
"I was happy to see the wire coming, and it actually looked like he galloped out pretty well afterwards," winning trainer Todd Pletcher told TVG. "We were concerned first time going long from the 14 post. Obviously we had to come away running, get some forward position and save ground in the first turn. They were rolling right along, so I was glad he was able to find more."
Coal Front broke fast, but All Out Blitz grabbed the lead from post 10 and led through fractions of 22.78, 46.59 and 1:11.84. Coal Front settled to his outside.
"I know he’s very quick, so I wasn’t so much worried about being in the position out there," Velazquez said. "It actually kind of helped a little bit. I knew he was going to break sharp from there and hopefully I could get him off somebody, and somebody went and gave me a little bit of a break onto the backstretch."
Coal Front, the 6-5 favorite, took command in the stretch but had to fend off Copper Bullet, who came from off the pace. Coal Front hit the wire in 1:43.45 and hung on by a neck.
Coal Front, a son of Stay Thirsty, was bred in Kentucky by Michael Edward Connally. LaPenta went to $575,000 for Coal Front as a 2-year-old at the April 2016 Ocala Breeders' Sale. The horse earned that price back in the Razorback, which improved his earnings to $777,280 from six wins in eight starts.
Two of those victories include the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga and the Gallant Bob Stakes (G3) at Parx while Coal Front was sprinting at 3.
"I think it opens up a lot of options for him," Pletcher said of a two-turn win. "He’s been training like a horse that wanted to stretch out, and we were hoping he would prove it."