Hawkish tops Maraud for first stakes win in Penn Mile

Hawkish took over favoritism at 7-5 from Maraud just before breaking in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Penn Mile Stakes and backed up his odds with a winning performance. While Maraud stayed to pacesetting Encumbered’s outside, jockey Manny Franco made a wide move and rolled home the clear victor.

“[Jockey Manny Franco] rode a great race the way he sat there on him,” said winning trainer Jimmy Toner. “When he turned him loose, it was really fun to watch.”

Hawkish was making only his fourth career start off an allowance optional claiming win at Aqueduct. The 3-year-old Artie Schiller gelding was a debut winner in January before finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes. Bred by AJ Suited Racing Stable, LLC, Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables LLC also joined in on Hawkish’s ownership.

“Somebody sent me a picture of her head and his, and they are identical,” Toner said of the two horses. “It’s there. Whenever I’ve seen one from that family, my eyes light up.” 

Up front at Penn National Race Course, West Coast invader Encumbered opened the first half mile in fractions of :23.24 and :47.62. Maraud stuck close ahead of He’s Bankable, Therapist and Coltandmississippi. Hawkish settled in front of Way Early at the rear.

As Encumbered approached three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.94, Franco asked Hawkish to make his move and the gelding swiftly caught up with the frontrunners. Despite going wide, Hawkish overtook the lead in the stretch and continued to accelerate down the turf. Way Early also made a late move but failed to threaten Hawkish, who crossed the wire in 1:35.16 three lengths in front.

“He wanted to go early but I held him up,” Franco said. “At the three-eighths, I had so much horse that I let him go and went around them.”

Coltandmississippi got up for third and Maraud held for fourth over Encumbered, Therapist and He’s Bankable.

“The strategy was to try to get him to back off,” Toner added. “The 7 [Smart Remark] scratched, so there was only one speed horse. I said [to Franco] just keep him engaged and give him something to run at.

“He’s a monster. Some people worry about making [these] moves, but when you’ve got a horse with that kind of natural ability, you take those aggressive moves and move him up in company. It’s worthwhile.”

Now with $359,700 in earnings, Hawkish is being pointed to the Grade 1 Belmont Derby July 7.

“Absolutely,” Toner said when asked about the upcoming race, “that’s where we’re going next.”