Fear the Cowboy Closes to Skip Away Victory

Multiple-stakes winner Fear the Cowboy made a triumphant return to Gulfstream Park Saturday, closing well off the pace to win going away by three lengths in the $100,000 Skip Away (G3).

“He runs every time and runs so hard. He runs one mile, one mile and a sixteenth, one mile and an eighth,” trainer Efren Loza Jr. said. “He is a horse I ship to different racetracks and he always does good. He has heart.”

Fear the Cowboy made his first seven career starts in South Florida, the last being a victory in the Three Chopt Road Stakes at Gulfstream. The son of Cowboy Cal has raced primarily in Louisiana, with stops in Kentucky, Minnesota and Texas. The winner of last year’s Evangeline Mile finished second in the Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston in his most recent start.”

Sent to post at 7-2, Fear the Cowboy settled off the pace set by Flashy Jewel, who was chased by favored Zulu and Team Colors along the backstretch. The Kentucky-bred 5-year-old began to make progress leaving the backstretch under jockey Jesus Rios before making an outside sweep on the turn into the stretch. Flashy Jewel and Zulu began to shorten stride in the stretch and were no match for the fresh legs of Fear the Cowboy, who drew off impressively to win his first graded stakes and awarding his trainer with his first graded-stakes success.

“We made the decision to come back to Gulfstream because the horse has run before here. He loves this track. We really liked the distance, one mile and an eighth,” Loza said. “We decided to bring him back to Gulfstream because the owners are from Florida and I’m from Florida. I’m happy. This is my first graded race [victory].”

Fear the Cowboy ran the 1 1 /8 miles in 1:51.81 to capture his seventh victory in 20 career starts.

“It went as we expected. I took the horse back and followed the speed and he finished strong. That was the plan and it went perfectly,” said Rios through an interpreter. “I was sure [I would get there] because the leader was declining and I had a lot of horse. My horse is a warrior. I am very happy to win a Grade 3.”

 

Zulu, the even-money favorite, finished second, a neck in front of Flashy Jewel.

 

“He ended up in a good position. He just kind of kept grinding it out, but no excuses. He was just second-best on the day,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.

 

 

Darsan Inc.’s Florida homebred Who’s the Lady, making her stakes debut for trainer Kathleen O’Connell, broke sharply and led all the way to keep her perfect record intact with a front-running three-quarter length victory in the fourth running of the $75,000 Any Limit.

 

Second choice at 8-5 in a field of seven 3-year-old fillies, Who’s the Lady ($5.20) ran six furlongs in 1:12.29 over a fast main track. Even-money favorite Cursor, racing for the first time since finishing fourth in the Tempted (G3) Nov. 5, was a head better than 20-1 long shot Fashion Runaway in second.

 

It was the fourth win in as many starts and third of the Championship Meet for Who’s the Lady, a bay daughter of Munnings whose victories have come by 1 ½ combined lengths, and the third on the afternoon for jockey Paco Lopez.

 

Who’s the Lady broke on top and ran the opening quarter-mile in 23.93 seconds, chased by Faith N Hope to her inside. Mia moved up to challenge on her outside after a half in 47.67, but Who’s the Lady remained in charge around the turn and powered down the stretch as Cursor and Fashion Runaway battled for second.

 

Truge, Faith N Hope, Colorincolonel and Mia completed the order of finish.