Ivan Fallunovalot Steps Up in Count Fleet Sprint

 

"We live here. This is home," said Howard, who is married to retired jockey Kathy Moore, one of the first women to be a regular member of the colony here. “It would be awfully nice to get his first graded stakes win here. Any win is nice, but this would be real nice.”

 

Howard, a former assistant to Cole Norman, has had his license since 1976 and has previously won one graded stakes race, the 2011 Arlington-Washington Lassie with Rocket Twenty-one. King Cotton Stakes winner Ivan Fallunovalot, pronounced “I've been falling off a lot,” will carry high weight of 121 pounds and is the 2-1 second choice in the field of eight that includes 8-5 favorite Gentlemen's Bet.

 

“He is spotting them quite a bit of weight and is one of the favorites, but we won't tell him that,” said Howard with a big smile. "He likes this track and runs good over it, that's for sure.”

 

After taking the six-furlong King Cotton on Feb. 7, the 5-year-old Texas-bred son of Valid Expectations was on the lead next out in the Hot Springs at the same distance on Mar 7, but was caught late by Gentlemen's Bet and finished in second, 1 1/4 lengths behind.

 

“I figure we'll be the pace again. Gentlemen's Bet's game plan will be what it was last time, so we'll have to see who's the fastest,” said Howard. “They all concern me, but no one scares me. We hope to have good racing luck and may the best horse win.”

 

Howard claimed the bay gelding for $25,000 last year for Pine Bluff, Ark. resident Lewis Matthews, Jr., who said this is the best horse he's owned in his 11 years in the game.