Compliance Officer Continues Roll in Ashley Cole
Compliance Officer showed his affinity
for a route of ground Sunday afternoon at Belmont Park, winning the
$100,000 Ashley T. Cole to pick up his second consecutive stakes
victory.
Unhurried as longshot Writingonthewall led
through an opening quarter-mile in 25.55 and a half in 49.12, Compliance
Officer advanced on the far turn and came four wide into the stretch
before drawing clear to win by 3 ½ lengths.
The winner's
final time for 1 1/8 miles over turf rated "good" was 1:51.50. Sent off
the 2-1 favorite in the field of eight New York-breds, he returned
$5.80.
"We weren't sure whether he would get the 1 1/8
miles, so the plan was to draft in behind the other horses through the
first part," said winning jockey Alex Solis. "When we got to the
quarter-pole, I asked him for run, and he responded very nicely. He's a
fun horse to ride. He's improving every race, and now we know he can get
the distance."
Bruce Brown, who trains the son of
Officer for La Marca Stable, was equally impressed with the 5-year-old
gelding's first foray beyond 1 1/16 miles.
"This was the
best he's ever relaxed and the best he's ever finished," said Brown.
"He just seems like he's getting better and better. It seems like this
was kind of what he wanted to do all along. This was pretty impressive
today. A horse like this, who had the numbers and had the back class,
sometimes you just figure little things out. This is kind of an
out-of-the-ordinary thing, but this is what keeps us all doing it."
Compliance
Officer has now won four straight since being claimed by Brown for
$25,000 in his 2011 debut, a state-bred, 1 1/16-mile optional claimer at
Belmont in May. Following the claim, the gelding won a pair of Belmont
turf sprint optional claimers at six and seven furlongs, then took
Saratoga Race Course's 1 1/16-mile West Point for the first stakes
victory of his career. Brown said he planned to point Compliance Officer
for the $125,000, 1 1/16-mile Mohawk on New York Showcase Day, October
22.
Pocket Cowboys was second and Minnie Punt - making
his first start in more than a year - made a run from the back of the
pack to get third. Writingonthewall, Midnight Billy, Uncle T Seven,
Straight Story and Make Note completed the order of finish. Gimme
Credit, Theresmyeverything, Most Happy Fella and Socialsaul were
scratched.