Requite Puts Weaver Back on the Beam

Trainer George Weaver got back in the groove on Saturday, snapping a 12-race losing skid with a pair of wins, including a maiden special weight triumph with impressive first-time starter Requite.

Requite led at every call off the 5 ½-furlong race and was driven home by jockey Joe Rocco, Jr. to prevail by 3 ½ lengths as the 8-5 favorite, becoming the seventh winner for his freshman sire Warrior's Reward, who took the 2010 Grade 1 Carter Handicap.

"He was training well, and we knew not only could he run a little bit, but he was quick enough leaving the gate to place himself, and that always helps with a first-time starter," Weaver said of Requite. "We were real happy with him."

Weaver said Requite could make his next start in the Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful, a seven-furlong race on September 1, closing day at Saratoga.

"If he's training all right, we might try the Hopeful," said Weaver. "If we think he needs a little more time, we might try something else at Belmont or whatever. But it seems like he came out of it good so far."

Later on the card, Weaver finished 1-2 with Analysis and Wake Up in Malibu in an allowance on the turf for New York-breds. Both Analysis and Wake Up in Malibu rallied from off the pace and battled down the stretch before Analysis emerged victorious by a head.

With the pair of scores on Saturday, Weaver entered Sunday's card tied for sixth in the trainer standings with six wins.

"I had a good start [to the meet] and then it got quiet," said Weaver. "I don't know what happened. My luck wore down. But then yesterday the luck came back. Analysis ran a good race and the horse that was second to him ran a bang-up race. It's too bad I had to run two live horses like that against each other, but that happens sometimes. I felt like I had the race locked up at the sixteenth pole. It was just a matter of which way it was going to go. It was a good feeling."