Faster Gator proves the fastest horse in Steel Valley Sprint

Faster Gator, coming off an allowance win against older foes at Mahoning Valley on Oct. 21, broke through at the stakes level there in Monday's $300,000 Steel Valley Sprint, making his bid on the turn and holding Tough Catch at bay to win.

Long shot Fire Pit bounced out to the early lead and set a 22.27-second opening quarter, with El Muchacho Alegre tracking just behind, and then Retribution and Faster Gator in the next flight.

Into the turn El Muchacho Alegre launched a two-wide bid, with Faster Gator following suit to his outside. Faster Gator's bid was the better one. He got his nose in front near the three eighths, a lead he would keep for good, and he was clear by the time he marked the half mile in 45.35 seconds.

Rolando, Tough Catch, and slow-starting Souper Tuscan rallied two-, three- and four-wide into the lane, all looking a brief threat in upper stretch, but Faster Gator continued to run on under a drive from jockey Jevian Toledo. He was still clear when marking five furlongs in 57.79 seconds.

Tough Catch ran on best of the rest, but Faster Gator was steadfast and crossed the wire 1 3/4 lengths to the good. Another 2 1/2 lengths back, Souper Tuscan took the show photo by a nose over Rolando. Keep It Easy, Retribution, 2-1 favorite Guns Loaded, Fire Pit and El Muchach Alegre completed the order of finish. Hymn, Taylor's Version and Dr. Alex Is In were scratched.

Faster Gator finished the six furlongs over fast dirt in 1:10.46 and paid his backers $6.80 to win.

Faster Gator is a 3-year-old colt by Vekoma out of the stakes-placed Nobiz like Showbiz mare Comforter. He is trained by Anthony Farrior for owners Richard Burnsworth and Dunn Brothers Racing. The win extended his career record to 9: 5-1-1. He had placed in stakes company twice before Monday, with a second-place finish in the Bay Shore at Aqueduct and a third-place effort in the Robert Hilton Memorial at Charles Town.

In an interview with Paul Espinosa in the winners' circle after the race, Farrior thanked his barn staff at Laurel, noting that he can be a tough horse, and was difficult to get fit because he was such a big and heavy horse.

Farrior also appreciated the meaning of a stakes win. "I'm a claiming guy, so to have a horse win a stakes race, that's big." A regular at Laurel, Charles Town and Mahoning, Farrior has 220 wins in 851 starts this year, and has been in the top 10 North America-based trainers by wins in 2022, 2023 and 2024. However, the win in the Steel Valley Sprint was only his fifth at the stakes level this year.